Pinellas County Spousal Support Lawyers

Protecting your standard of living after divorce

Serving in Pasco, Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties with law offices also in Largo, Holiday & Palm Harbor

K. Dean Kantaras is Board Certified in Marital and Family Law by the Florida Bar

Also known as spousal support, alimony is a sum of money or assets that one spouse pays to the other after they divorce.  The purpose of alimony payments is to help make sure that each spouse has the ability or the means to support himself or herself.

Courts may consider the following factors in determining a proper alimony award:

• Financial resources, earning ability, and sources of income
• Standard of living and the length of the marriage
• Age and physical and emotional health
• Contributions of each spouse to the marriage
• Time necessary for either spouse to become self-supporting
• Responsibilities to dependent children or elderly parents

Whether these decisions are made by the court—or if you and your spouse negotiate your own settlement—you need an experienced Clearwater family lawyer to make sure you continue to live within a reasonable standard of living as you move forward in your life.

Alimony is not guaranteed under Florida law

Where typical families used to consist of a husband who earned income and a wife who stayed at home to care for the children, it has become common for  both spouses to earn income—and either spouse can be the higher wage earner.  These changes removed the virtual guarantee that the husband pays spousal support for the wife, typically until the wife remarries.  The courts now recognize that either spouse may need financial assistance, at least temporarily, to retain a reasonable standard of living after divorce.

The courts consider requests for alimony on a case-by-case basis, but spouses can also negotiate a binding settlement outside of court.  In either case, the attorneys at the St. Petersburg family law firm of the Law Offices of K. Dean Kantaras, P.A. have the skills and experience needed to help ensure their clients are financially protected—whether they receive spousal support payments or need to make payments.

Contact the experienced lawyers at the Law Offices K. Dean Kantaras, P.A.

K. Dean Kantaras is board-certified in marital and family law by the Florida Bar.  Those wishing to know more about the skilled representation we can offer in all aspects of family laws in Florida are invited to contact our firm at (727) 781-0000, or use our online contact form.