Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Alimony
The Florida statutes no longer include provisions for permanent alimony. However, a party may still be required to pay alimony for a significant period of time if the following factors are considered:
1. The extent to which the obligee’s age and employability limit the obligee’s ability for self-support, either in whole or in part.
2. The extent to which the obligee’s available financial resources limit the obligee’s ability for self-support, either in whole or in part.
3. The extent to which the obligee is mentally or physically disabled or has been diagnosed with a mental or physical condition that has rendered, or will render, him or her incapable of self-support, either in whole or in part.
4. The extent to which the obligee is the caregiver to a mentally or physically disabled child, whether or not the child has attained the age of majority, who is common to the parties. Any extension terminates upon the child no longer requiring caregiving by the obligee, or upon death of the child, unless one of the other factors in this paragraph apply.
Fla. Stat. 61.08(8)(b).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Alimony
When determining a party’s ability to pay alimony, we usually look to the party’s financial affidavit and examine monthly expenses versus monthly net income. If a party has a surplus after paying reasonable monthly expenses, this is an indication of how much that party can afford in paying alimony. This was an issue in the case Hawryluk v. Hawryluk, 5D21-2405 (Fla. 5th DCA May 19, 2023).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Alimony
What is nominal alimony in a Florida divorce? This type of alimony is usually awarded in a small amount where the party requesting support shows a need for it, but the other party does not have the ability to pay the full amount of need at this time. Nominal alimony is awarded so that the requesting party can petition to modify the amount in the future if the payor’s circumstances change. This was an issue in the case Fabrizio v. Fabrizio, 2D21-278 (Fla. 2d DCA February 25, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Alimony
If a party has not worked for many years, what level of income should be imputed to that party for purposes of calculating Florida alimony? Many factors go into determining if and how much income should be imputed, including the educational and occupational history of the party to whom income is being imputed. This was an issue in the case Poveromo v. Poveromo, 5D19-3466 (Fla. 5th DCA January 21, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Alimony
If a party who is receiving alimony re-marries or is in a supportive relationship, depending on the terms of a final judgment or settlement agreement, that party may be at risk of losing his or her alimony payments. This is because the party’s new partner is providing financial support to the party that reduces or eliminates the party’s need for alimony. This was an issue in the case Klokow v. Klokow, 5D19-2766 (Fla. 5th DCA July 2, 2021).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Alimony
Permanent alimony in Florida is usually reserved for long-term marriages of 17 years or more. Permanent alimony may still be awarded in marriages of shorter duration when there is a finding of exceptional circumstances. For example, if a spouse in a shorter marriage becomes disabled and unable to work, this may be a factor that supports granting permanent alimony. This discussion is highlighted in the case Odom v. Odom, 1D20-2154 (Fla. 1st DCA March 18, 2021).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Divorce
How does a Florida divorce court determine the value of a business owned by the spouses? How about goodwill in the business? Goodwill refers to the value of the business attributable to the efforts and reputation of a spouse - that is, how much of the business’ value and revenue is due to a spouse’s interactions with customers or reputation in an industry? These were issues in the case King v. King, 1D19-3280 (Fla. 1st DCA March 4, 2021).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Alimony
When parties are voluntarily underemployed or unemployed, a court may impute income for purposes of calculating Florida alimony. This means the court will treat each party as if he or she is earning income he or she is capable of earning even if he or she is not actually earning that income. This in theory forces the underemployed or unemployed spouse to obtain employment at the salary level he or she is capable of earning so that the court-ordered amount can be paid. But what if after being imputed income, a spouse uses best efforts and gets a job that pays less than the amount imputed to him or her? This happened in the recent appellate case Hampson v. Hampson, 2D19-1105 (Fla. 2d DCA January 22, 2021).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Divorce
When a party is self-employed, income can fluctuate which may make it difficult to assign a fair or consistent income amount to the party. This affects child support and alimony calculations, along with rulings on a request for attorneys’ fees and costs. At issue in the case Waldera v. Waldera, 3D18-1546 (Fla. 3d DCA August 5, 2020) was the former wife’s complaint that the trial court did not correctly calculate the former husband’s income for purposes of calculating his support obligations.
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Divorce
When a party seeks to impute income to the other party in a Florida divorce, the court must consider relevant factors such as the party’s work history and realistic earning capacity. In the case Tutt v. Hudson, 2D19-1437 (Fla. 2d DCA June 24, 2020), the former husband appealed an order which imputed income of $500.00 per day to him.
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Divorce
Retroactive child support must be addressed by a Florida family court when it is requested by either parent. Since Florida law considers child support to be a right that belongs to a child, parents are usually not allowed to waive child support payments. This issue was explored in the case Johnson v. Johnson, 1D19-430 (Fla. 1st DCA June 15, 2020).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Divorce
What is the purpose of a motion for rehearing in a Florida divorce case? In many instances, it is necessary to file a motion for rehearing in order to preserve appellate rights. By asking for a rehearing, a party is alerting the court that there are mistakes in the final judgment. Without giving the court the chance to fix those mistakes, the appellate court may not have jurisdiction to address any discrepancies in your final judgment. This was the issue in the case Russell v. Russell, 1D19-364 (Fla. 1st DCA April 9, 2020).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Divorce
When a party is self-employed or otherwise can deduct certain business-related expenses on that party’s tax return, this is an important consideration in determining alimony and child support in Florida. In the case Brown v. Norwood, 5D18-3836 (Fla. 5th DCA February 28, 2020), the court considered the appeal of a former husband who argued the trial court ignored evidence of his business expenses in calculating his income.
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Alimony
When is summary judgment appropriate in a Florida family law case? Such a procedure is used when there is no issue of material fact for the court to decide. That is, it is undisputed that a party is entitled to relief without the need for a trial or the normal steps of litigation. In the case Bradner v. Bradner, 1D18-4604 (Fla. 1st DCA December 27, 2019), we see summary judgment used to terminate Florida alimony.
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Alimony
When alimony is awarded in Florida, a court must consider several factors to determine the amount and length of the award. The court may also order that the party who pays alimony must secure a life insurance policy to protect the award. In the case Cooper v. Cooper, 2D18-3616 (Fla. 2d DCA August 2, 2019), the former husband appealed an order that obligated him to pay alimony and to obtain life insurance.
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Alimony
When a court determines a party is underemployed or voluntarily unemployed for purposes of calculating Florida alimony, can it postpone imputation of income until the party is in a position to obtain employment? This issue arose in the case Horowitz v. Horowitz, 2D18-2074 (Fla. 2d DCA May 29, 2019).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Alimony
When a party is unhappy with a Florida divorce court’s ruling, what is the next step? The party may be able to appeal the final judgment, but must be sure to comply with deadlines and procedural requirements. One requirement that is often cited in Florida family law cases is the duty to file a motion for rehearing with the trial court before proceeding with an appeal. The case Engle v. Engle, 2D17-620 (Fla. 2d DCA July 3, 2019) highlights the confusion that this requirement causes among different courts in Florida.
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Alimony
A former spouse who agreed to pay over $20,000.00 per month in permanent, non-modifiable alimony was found in contempt for his failure to pay this amount for about 9 years straight. He appealed in the case Accardi v. Accardi, 4D18-1669 (Fla. 4th DCA June 12, 2019).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Alimony
A party who wants alimony without having to file a petition for divorce can seek it under Florida Statute Chp. 61.09. This is referred to as a Petition for Support Unconnected with Dissolution of Marriage. The recent family law case Levy v. Levy, 4D18-3535 (Fla. 4th DCA April 17, 2019) involves this type of petition.
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Alimony
Imputing income to a party for purposes of calculating support is a process which requires specific proof and findings. In the case Frerking v. Stacy, 5D18-2327 (Fla. 5th DCA March 15, 2019), we review a trial court’s decision to award durational, rather than permanent, alimony in a long-term marriage based in part on speculated employment opportunities for the former wife.
