Ending a marriage is never an easy undertaking. Months and even years can pass by from the time that a spouse files his or her initial petition until the time that the court issues its final decree. This may seem like an eternity for both parties, but it can be an especially difficult time on those spouses who earn considerably less income than their counterparts. This can be even more so if those spouses are also providing the primary care for any children of the marriage.
Frequent readers of our online blog may recall that we previously discussed how Florida courts attempt to minimize these economic hardships. In that article, we talked about a type of temporary alimony Florida courts can award to help some spouses “bridge the gap” and get by financially while their divorces are ongoing.
This can be especially important for you if you are also caring for your children. The reason why is because Florida courts can only award these so-called “bridge the gap” alimony in cases where a spouse has demonstrated that he or she has an identifiable and legitimate need for the support. This can differ from child support orders that rely on guidelines that place significant importance on the incomes of both spouses as a means to arrive at an equitable child support payment arrangement.
There are a few things you should know first, regardless of whether you are seeking temporary alimony or attempting to defend against it. Florida courts can award “bridge the gap” alimony only for a maximum time of two years. It’s also very important for you to know that once awarded, this type of spousal support cannot be modified.
Based in Miami, our law firm represents clients in all aspects of family law throughout the Miami-Dade metropolitan area and other parts of South Florida. Prospective clients should know that we do not charge a fee to conduct an initial consultation with their about their cases. Se habla Español.