As a Tampa Divorce Lawyer, a common question asked by during an initial consultation is whether permanent alimony is on the table for one of the spouses in the pending family law matter.

When determining whether permanent alimony is appropriate in your matter, the court will look at many factors, including:

• The length of the marriage
• The marital and non-marital assets that each spouse receives after the divorce
• The amount of income and types of income available to the spouses
• The “Standard of Living” that the husband or wife has come accustomed to.
• The age of the spouse
• The physical condition or ability of the spouse
• Contribution to the marriage(ie. Did one spouse stay home and take care of the home, raise the children, ect., enabling the other spouse to continue to work)

It used to be that the parties had to be married for 20 years in order for one party to be eligible for alimony. Now, the court handles each case as a unique matter. As a general rule, permanent alimony is most likely to be on the table if the parties have been married at least seven years. Anything less is considered a “short term”marriage in the eyes of the courts.

Clearly, the amount of assets that the spouses receive will affect the need of one of the spouses for permanent alimony. At its heart, the question is whether one of the spouses has a need and the other spouse the ability to pay money to keep the spouse in the standard of living that he or she has become accustomed to. If so, and the marriage is of sufficient length, then permanent alimony is a viable remedy in your Florida Divorce Matter.

It is important to discuss your unique scenario with a Tampa, FL family law attorney to discuss your case. Tampa Divorce Lawyers from Denmon Law group are some of the best in the State at Florida Divorce cases.