Alimony in Florida

Florida’s alimony law changed substantially with Senate Bill 1416 (Chapter 2023-315), which took effect on July 1, 2023, and amended Florida Statutes section 61.08. As of 2026, these are the governing rules. Under section 61.08(11), the amended law applies to all initial petitions for dissolution of marriage, or for support unconnected with dissolution, that were pending or filed on or after July 1, 2023.

The headline change is that permanent, lifetime alimony has been eliminated. Under section 61.08(1)(a), the available forms are now temporary, bridge-the-gap, rehabilitative, and durational alimony.

Alimony is not automatic. Under section 61.08(2), a court must first make a specific finding of the requesting spouse’s actual need and the other spouse’s ability to pay. The spouse asking for alimony carries the burden of proving both.

Marriage length shapes what is available. Section 61.08(5) sets rebuttable presumptions: a short-term marriage is one lasting less than 10 years, a moderate-term marriage is 10 to 20 years, and a long-term marriage is 20 years or longer. Length is measured from the date of the marriage to the date the dissolution action is filed.

Bridge-the-gap alimony, under section 61.08(6), helps with legitimate short-term needs as a spouse transitions to single life. It may not exceed 2 years and cannot be modified in amount or duration. Rehabilitative alimony, under section 61.08(7), supports a specific, defined plan to build skills or credentials, and it may not exceed 5 years.

Durational alimony, under section 61.08(8), provides support for a set period. It is not available for marriages lasting less than 3 years. Its duration is capped: it may not exceed 50 percent of the length of a short-term marriage, 60 percent of a moderate-term marriage, or 75 percent of a long-term marriage, extendable only under exceptional circumstances shown by clear and convincing evidence. The amount of durational alimony is also capped at the lesser of the recipient’s reasonable need or 35 percent of the difference between the spouses’ net incomes, under section 61.08(8)(c). A point that is often confused: those 50, 60, and 75 percent duration caps and the 35 percent amount cap apply specifically to durational alimony, not to bridge-the-gap or rehabilitative alimony.

The reform also added protections for the paying spouse. Under section 61.08(9), an award generally may not leave the paying spouse with significantly less net income than the recipient, unless the court makes written findings of exceptional circumstances. The court may also consider adultery and its economic impact when setting the amount, under section 61.08(1)(a).

Older awards are treated differently. Permanent-alimony awards entered before July 1, 2023, are generally not automatically eliminated. The reform governs petitions pending or filed on or after its effective date, and separate rules address modifying existing awards and the paying spouse’s retirement. Reading this guide does not create an attorney-client relationship. For advice about your own situation, speak with a licensed Florida attorney.