Will I Have to Pay Alimony?
When you and your spouse split up, there is a chance you may have to pay alimony, especially if you are deemed significantly more affluent than your partner. If you are more educated, have more lucrative employment possibilities, or take more personal property away after the divorce, you are more likely to have to make payments to your ex-spouse. In cases of marriages lasting 10 years or more, a court may order long-term, indefinite alimony that can continue until the receiving spouse remarries or experiences a significant increase in status or income. However, in most cases, spousal support comes with an expiration date.
What Is Durational Alimony and When Is it Necessary?
Durational alimony is spousal support that only lasts a certain amount of time. This is often ordered in divorces where one spouse will be placed at a significant financial disadvantage during and after divorce due to less education, fewer employment prospects, uneven division of assets, etc.
In many cases, a judge will order temporary alimony for a period of time during which the less affluent spouse will receive education or professional training as a means of becoming financially independent. Durational alimony may also be ordered if spouses are separated during divorce and one experiences great difficulty affording food, housing, and other basic expenses.
Contrary to popular belief, an alimony order doesn’t equate to a court decision that you are at fault for your divorce, nor is it necessarily a punishment. Alimony is merely a means to ensuring both spouses’ financial wellbeing after divorce and minimizing suffering for the less financially well-off spouse. Though it is not designed to be a punitive measure, alimony payments can certainly place a heavy financial burden on the paying spouse, even in the short run. If you are worried about having to make large alimony payments during or after your divorce (or both), it is crucial to get in touch with an experienced Clearwater divorce attorney as soon as possible to begin building your case.
Get in Touch with a Clearwater Divorce Lawyer Today
If you are divorcing, worried about alimony, and living in Clearwater, St. Petersburg, New Port Richey, or the Tampa Bay area, contact a durational alimony attorney from Tinny, Meyer & Piccarreto, P.A. today. We have served thousands of couples and families over the years and know what it takes to get you the best possible outcome in your divorce, even when it comes to spousal support. Our personalized, professional approach to sensitive matters pertaining to divorce and family conflicts sets us apart from the rest, and we are prepared to begin assisting you right away.
Start the conversation today by calling us at (727) 245-9009 or contacting us online to schedule your free consultation.
