By Robin Roshkind, Esquire, West Palm Beach, Florida
Marriages fall into several categories and depending upon the category, there are legal ramifications. A marriage can be short term, middle of the road or long term.
In Palm Beach County, Florida, a short term marriage is approximately 1 to 5 years as defined by the case law. If a spouse is seeking alimony support, the fact that the marriage is short term may work against that spouse. Also, with regard to prenuptial agreements, if a marriage ends in the short term, a spouse may be better off without a prenuptial agreement than if there is one giving the other spouse a pay out. In short term marriages, alimony is rarely given by the court, especially where the requesting spouse is employed or employable.
In 5 to 13 year marriages, this is called a gray area, and alimony awards depend upon other facts and circumstances in addition to the length of the marriage.
For those marriages that lasted longer than 14 years, the courts view those as long term marriages. If a spouse has not worked during that time, or makes substantially less money than the other spouse, the court is likely to give either lump sum or permanent alimony.
There are many other factors a court considers in awarding alimony. But the length of the marriage is very significant. For more information about this or other divorce topics, call one of the divorce lawyers at ROBIN ROSHKIND, P.A. at 561-835-9091 or click on the Firm’s web site at http://www.familylawwpb.com.
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