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Alimony & Spousal Support

Accomplished Attorneys Litigate Alimony Spousal Support in Tampa, Florida

Trustworthy Representation for Your Future Financial Security

When a couple divorces, financial uncertainty can cause a great deal of anxiety. A dependent spouse may worry how long it will take to become self-supporting, while a primary breadwinner has to wonder if it’s possible to support two separate households. As your divorce counsel, the Sessums Law Group works diligently to negotiate spousal support agreements that place you on the firmest possible financial footing. When agreement is not possible, we litigate disputes aggressively to help ensure your future security.

How Does Spousal Support Work in Tampa, Florida?

In Florida, spousal support, or alimony, is gender neutral, so either spouse could be the one paying or receiving support depending on their financial circumstances. Florida family law provides for a number of types of alimony:

  • Temporary alimony — During the divorce, the court can order the primary earner to pay a dependent spouse support for reasonable maintenance expenses, including legal fees.
  • Bridge-the-gap alimony — This type of support is meant to cover the period of transition as a dependent spouse becomes self-supporting.
  • Rehabilitative alimony — If a dependent spouse needs further education or job training, the court can order payments for a certain amount of time to cover maintenance and related expenses.
  • Durational alimony — In a short-term marriage or even one of moderate duration, the court can order maintenance payments for a set period of years. Durational alimony cannot last for longer than the length of the marriage.
  • Permanent alimony — For long-term marriages or situations where a dependent spouse cannot be expected to become self-supporting, the court can order permanent alimony, which lasts until the death of either spouse or until a subsequent court order cancels it. If the court decides to award permanent alimony for a marriage of less than seven years’ duration, the court must cite “clear and convincing evidence” for doing so.

The purpose of alimony is to help ensure that divorce does not unjustly enrich one spouse to the detriment of the other. As your advocates, we do everything possible to ensure financial transparency throughout the process so the court has a reasonable basis for ruling on the issue.

How Do Florida Courts Calculate Alimony?

Florida alimony law is concerned with promoting fairness. To balance equities, the court considers a number of factors written into the Florida statutes. These include:

  • The length of the marriage
  • The age and health of each spouse
  • The contributions each spouse has made to the marriage
  • The relative earning capacities of the spouses
  • Whether one spouse is the primary caregiver for young children

Overall, the objective is to hold a dependent spouse, as nearly as possible, at the standard of living enjoyed during the marriage. However, a court may also consider adultery as a factor to reduce an award of alimony.

The Sessums Law Group works diligently to assemble the evidence that places you in the best light so the court can apply the relevant factors to reach a favorable conclusion.

Contact a Family Law–Certified Attorney in Tampa to Resolve Your Alimony Dispute

Your financial future may depend on the alimony order that comes out of your divorce. Sessums Law Group provides trustworthy representation for alimony disputes in Tampa and the greater Bay area. Please call (813) 212-8330 or contact us online to schedule an appointment at our Tampa office. We also have offices in Lakeland, Sebring and Sarasota.

Our Settlements & Verdicts

Sessums Law Group, P.A. Attorneys Take Pride in Delivering Exceptional Results for Our Valued Clients

Our top priority is to devise customized legal strategies that are tailored to the unique legal needs of our clients, no matter how simple or complicated their situations, might be.

  • $6,000,000.00 Recovery Fraud Civil Action

    Sessums Law Group, P.A. successfully recovered $6,000,000.00 for a client in a fraud civil action.  Prior to the client’s divorce, the client negotiated and executed an agreement with his wife’s boyfriend that sought that the boyfriend would have no contact with the client’s wife.

  • $2,740,000.00 Wrongful Death Hit/Run of Motorcyclist

    Representation of the plaintiff hit from behind on his motorcycle by a driver who was allegedly drunk at the time of the accident.  Sued the defendant; the bar that the defendant had been drinking and the defendant’s employer.

  • $1,929,000.00 Verdict Real Estate Deficiency

    Representation of estate in real estate deficiency claim resulting in joint and several liability verdict against various doctors and chiropractors.

  • $1,000,000.00 Settlement Collision

    Representation of estate in an automobile and tractor trailer collision that resulted in multiple deaths.

  • Confidential Settlement Amount Medical Malpractice

    Client was burned with a hot pack after delivering her son via Cesarean section.

  • Confidential Settlement Amount Nursing Home Negligence

    Representation of the Personal Representative of the Estate of the patient who died due to negligent care while in the care of the nursing home.

  • Confidential Settlement Amount Trolley Accident

    Representation of passengers who were enjoying a sight- seeing tour aboard a trolley when the trolley was hit by a bus. The passengers suffered soft tissue injuries.

  • Confidential Settlement Amount Hit & Run

    Sessums Law Group was recently successful in settling a case for a hard working Polk County man whose hit and run accident resulted in a need for a knee replacement.  The defendant argued that our client had caused the accident.  We were able to prove through expert accident reconstruction testimony that the accident happened as our client testified despite the minimal damage involved.

  • Confidential Settlement Stolen Property

    Client’s vehicle was burglarized and her engagement and wedding rings stolen. The perpetrator pawned the stolen items to a local pawn shop. The pawn shop ignored the hold order from the police department and sold the engagement and wedding rings. After suit filed for the Plaintiff, a confidential settlement was reached with the pawn shop for the value to our client of her stolen rings.

Florida Attorneys with Proven Expertise, Devoted to Exceptional Service

"Our firm believes in the integrity of the needs of the each client we represent. We are passionate about obtaining the maximum results allowable under the law for each client."

- Mark A. Sessums