Alimony
At Grazi & Gianino, our alimony attorney (family law attorney) is dedicated to helping clients with their spousal support needs. Going through a divorce can be very difficult, and issues related to alimony are often of major concern to divorcing couples. Alimony is financial support paid by one spouse to another when the couple gets divorced. It can also be referred to as “spousal support”. Determination of spousal support is a completely separate issue from child support. Alimony refers to financial assistance that one spouse pays to another during and/or after a divorce to help provide for his or her living needs. Spousal support may be indicated when there is an income disparity between spouses and support is intended to help the lower income party to maintain a lifestyle similar to what he or she had been accustomed to during the marriage.
There is no guarantee of alimony when a couple gets divorced. Each and every case is unique and a determination needs to be made based on a large number of factors. Generally, however, the longer a couple is married, the more likely that one spouse will receive alimony from the other. Since the determination of alimony is such a difficult one, and one typically met with a great deal of opposition by the other party, it is best to have an experienced attorney provide you with legal advice and representation during the process.
When a couple goes through a divorce, the determination of alimony is one of the most difficult and emotionally stressful experiences of the entire process. This is one area where couples tend to disagree, and even those that have otherwise maintained an amicable relationship throughout the divorce process tend to become confrontational when the topic of alimony arises. Alimony requires an ongoing financial commitment by one spouse to another and often causes conflict between two parties that are looking to go their separate ways. That is why it is important to have a lawyer on your side that you can trust. The compassionate guidance and strong representation that the family law lawyer at Grazi & Gianino offers can be an integral part of ensuring that your rights are protected and you receive the alimony settlement you deserve.
Determining the amount of alimony that a spouse receives in a divorce is a very individualized process and is based on a number of factors. Additionally, there are several different types of alimony that include temporary, durational, bridge-the-gap, rehabilitative, lump-sum, and permanent periodic. Some of the factors may include: the length of the marriage, the ability of each spouse to earn money following the divorce, the current disparity in income between both spouses, the contribution of one spouse to the other’s career or education, the age and health of each spouse, the standard of living established during the marriage, and issues related to property ownership and debt. These factors will not only determine whether a spouse is eligible to receive alimony and how much that payment will be, but will also affect how long the alimony arrangement will last. No two cases are exactly alike, so determining alimony arrangements is a very complex and intricate process.
An alimony arrangement can be drawn up by attorneys during the divorce process and agreed to by divorcing parties. If agreement is reached, the alimony agreement is brought before a judge during the final divorce hearing for approval. If a divorcing couple cannot come to an agreement on the terms of alimony, the judge can make the final determination of whether to grant alimony and if so, how much alimony will be paid (and for how long), after being presented with evidence from both parties.
At Grazi & Gianino, we handle all aspects of the alimony process, including temporary alimony, permanent alimony, lump sum alimony and durational alimony. And, if you already have an alimony agreement in place and require modifications to an existing alimony agreement due to the development of new circumstances, we can provide you with the guidance and representation you need to get the new alimony terms you deserve.
If you need an alimony attorney (family law attorney) in Stuart, FL or Martin County, Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie or St. Lucie County, Vero Beach or Indian River County, Okeechobee or Okeechobee County, West Palm Beach or Palm Beach County, or surrounding areas, please call the Stuart, Florida family law lawyer of Grazi & Gianino now at (772) 286-0200.