Alimony is a financial obligation that one spouse pays to the other after the end of a marriage. There are usually very specific terms for alimony included in the court order. The courts determine how much the alimony will be and how long one party will make payments to the other.
There are a handful of circumstances in which alimony (also known as spousal support or maintenance) payments will end earlier than the date stated in the initial order. Does remarriage by someone who has been receiving alimony mean that their former spouse can end alimony payments early? What about a new romantic relationship?
New relationships may justify an early termination
Florida state law specifically allows for the automatic termination of alimony payments when a dependent spouse remarries. In fact, the person paying generally does not need to go back to court to end alimony when the recipient remarries.
They can, however, go to court to terminate alimony payments when the recipient has begun cohabitating with someone else. Provided that the person the former spouse is living with is not related to them by blood and their new partner provides financial support, that change in relationship status could justify an end to alimony.
If you’re paying alimony, you may therefore need to pay close attention to the personal circumstances of your former spouse in order to determine if the situation may justify asking to end the payments ahead of the date on the court order. Learning more about Florida’s unique and recently updated alimony laws can help people regain control of their finances as quickly as possible after a divorce.
