There are four types of alimony in Florida. They are permanent alimony, durational alimony, rehabilitative alimony and bridge-the-gap, alimony. Trial courts can award one or any combination of these four types of alimony.
In a case captioned Ogle v. Ogle, the Florida Court of Appeal recently described the purpose of these four different types of alimony. The purpose of bridge-the-gap alimony, is to provide funds to assist a person in making the transition from being married to being single. Its purpose is to provide funds for identifiable, legitimate short-term needs. The purpose of rehabilitative alimony is to provide assistance to parties in becoming self-supporting through education and job training.
The purpose of permanent alimony is to provide for the needs of a recipient spouse as they were established during the course of a marriage. It is intended to provide funds to a spouse who lacks the financial ability to pay for these expenses. Finally, the purpose of durational alimony is to provide economic assistance to a recipient spouse for a specific period of time after a “moderate duration” marriage. A “moderate duration” marriage has a duration that is between seven and seventeen years. Durational alimony may not exceed the term of the marriage. It is available when permanent alimony is not appropriate.