Spousal Support

Divorce Attorneys Guiding Residents of the Jacksonville Area

The divorce lawyers at Ellis and Bryant, P.A. represent clients in a wide range of family law matters. We understand how stressful divorce proceedings can be for everyone involved, and we work diligently to resolve these issues favorably for each client. Our Jacksonville spousal support lawyers have a strong track record of getting optimal results for many clients through negotiation and settlement when possible or via traditional litigation when needed. We are happy to guide clients through the legal process with experience and understanding, and we are committed to standing by the people whom we represent at every step of the way.

The divorce process can be a strange and uncertain time for spouses preparing to go their own separate ways. Spousal support – or alimony – is designed to provide some financial stability for the spouse who receives the support. It allows the person to enjoy something similar to the standard of living that the spouses had during their marriage. The support can be ordered on a temporary or permanent basis, depending on the circumstances. A judge can also eliminate or change the amount of the support if there is a sufficient change in circumstances to justify the alteration, similar to the child custody modification process.

Calculating Support

The good news for divorcing spouses in Florida is that state law allows you to resolve a number of issues, like spousal support, custody arrangements, and property division, between yourselves without needing to leave the decision up to a judge. As long as the judge finds that the agreement is generally reasonable, it will be adopted by the court as part of the divorce judgment. If the divorcing spouses cannot resolve the issues on their own, however, the judge will typically hold a hearing, review evidence, and issue an order detailing the support to be paid, if any.

Judges consider a number of factors in deciding whether to award support and how much support to award. These include the marital standard of living, the spouses’ financial resources, and the spouses’ educational levels and earning capacities. Courts also often consider the spouses’ health and health care needs, as well as their respective roles in the family during the course of the marriage. If a court is asked to reconsider the support award down the road, it looks at whether there has been a substantial change to the circumstances since the time of the order. A spousal support attorney in Jacksonville can advise you on how each of these factors may apply to your case.

Types of Spousal Support

There are four different types of spousal support under Florida law, each of which varies by duration. Temporary support is designed to be a patch for a divorcing spouse who needs short-term assistance. It covers the time from the separation until the court orders the divorce. Durational alimony is also short-term support. It covers a certain defined period after the divorce. Rehabilitative spousal support is also temporary, but it is specifically designed to help the receiving spouse get to a point at which the spouse can fend for him or herself financially. This support, for instance, may cover any time that the spouse needs to pursue a degree or get new job training. Finally, courts may order permanent spousal support in the case of a long-term marriage in which one divorcing spouse has little chance of becoming self-supporting. Each of the different types of alimony may be paid in a lump sum or monthly installments, depending on the circumstances.

Discuss Your Needs and Goals with a Spousal Support Lawyer in Jacksonville

At Ellis and Bryant, we are dedicated to resolving spousal or child support and other family matters efficiently and effectively. We make every effort to help our clients reach agreements with their former spouses when possible so that it is not left to a judge to decide the important issues that are often at stake in these cases. We take the time to understand the individual situation of each and every client. Our office is conveniently located at 2057N. Washington St. in Jacksonville. Call us at (904) 551-4120 or contact us online to speak with a Jacksonville spousal support attorney about your case today. We also represent people in Jacksonville Beach, Orange Park, Middleburg, and other communities in Duval and Clay Counties.