After turning to Gary Dolgin for help with an alimony modification, Roger was extremely pleased with the outcome. Gary’s expertise in family law made a real difference in resolving a complex and financially challenging situation.

Looking back, Roger says he regrets not hiring Gary during his original divorce proceedings. Had he done so, he believes he could have saved a significant amount of money and avoided years of unnecessary stress.

In this video, Roger opens up about his experience—how Gary helped him regain control of his financial future, and why he now encourages others to hire the right attorney from the start.

Melinda’s divorce was challenging because her ex-husband was not willing to negotiate on several issues and tried to discredit her with expert witnesses in court.

Having a child with autism and multiple sclerosis, Melinda had not worked outside of the home for over 6 years and had no source of income when she and her ex-husband separated.

Gary Dolgin helped Melinda get an emergency court order for alimony and child support during her divorce to help pay her bills and medical expenses for her child.

Through Gary’s expertise and knowledge during court proceedings, Gary was also able to defend Melinda against her ex-husband’s expert witnesses and helped Melinda gain sole custody of her two children.

Melinda is grateful to Gary for all the support and superior representation he provided her during her challenging divorce process.

In this video, Melinda shares what she has to say about Board Certified Expert in Marital and Family Law, Gary Dolgin representing her during her divorce and helping her with child custody, alimony, equitable distribution and child support.

One of Gary Dolgin’s former divorce clients, Jennifer, is thankful to Gary for helping to guide her through her divorce 14 years ago.

As a Stay-At-Home Mom, Jennifer needed an aggressive and knowledgeable divorce attorney in Tampa who would help stand up for her and protect her best interests through her divorce.

It took over 2 years for Jennifer and her ex-husband to come to a final divorce agreement and Jennifer is happy that she selected Gary Dolgin to represent her.

Jennifer greatly appreciated Gary’s superior abilities to prepare her for and help her through numerous mediations.

She was also grateful to Gary for making sure that the details of her settlement agreement would allow her to be financially secure as she transitioned from being a Stay-At-Home Mom to entering the workforce again.

Watch this video to hear what Jennifer has to say about Gary Dolgin’s exceptional representation during her divorce.

Gary S. Dolgin has over 34 years of experience in divorce and helping to determine, negotiate and modify alimony for his clients in Hillsborough County and throughout Florida.

When you and your spouse divorce, there are a number of decisions that will have a long-term impact on your quality of life.  The award or payment of alimony is one of them.

Whether you and your partner try to negotiate an alimony agreement on your own or take your disputes to a Florida court, the question of whether alimony should be provided can be very difficult to agree on and can cause major disputes during the settlement process.

Factors That Are Considered When Determining Alimony

When determining whether or not alimony should be granted, how much should be awarded and for how long, judges are required to consider the factors contained in Florida Statute 61.08, which are as follows:

Understanding The Various Types Of Alimony

There are several different types of alimony that may or may not apply to you and your spouse’s circumstances.

Temporary Alimony

Meant to provide support during divorce proceedings, temporary alimony helps recipient spouses address their financial needs until the case is resolved.

Permanent Alimony (no longer awarded as of July 1, 2023)

Effective July 1, 2023, permanent alimony is no longer awarded in the State of Florida.

Judges in Florida no longer have the authority to award permanent periodic alimony.

Permanent alimony that was agreed upon or ordered by a judge and awarded prior to July 1, 2023 remains in full force and is unaffected by the new alimony laws.

In the past, permanent alimony may have been given to a spouse who is seriously ill or who is unable for another reason to earn enough income to maintain their standard of living.

Permanent alimony is not necessarily permanent, as alimony can be modified if either party can prove a substantial change in circumstances has occurred since the entry of the Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage.

Durational Alimony

Durational alimony may be awarded to provide a party with economic assistance for a set period of time. The amount of an award of durational alimony may be modified or terminated based upon a substantial change in circumstances.

Durational alimony may not be awarded following a marriage lasting less than 3 years.

An award of durational alimony may not exceed 50 percent of the length of a short-term marriage, 60 percent of the length of a moderate-term marriage, or 75 percent of the length of a long-term marriage.

Under exceptional circumstances, the court may extend the term of durational alimony by a showing of clear and convincing evidence that it is necessary after application of the factors in subsection (3) and upon consideration of certain factors. For example, employability, financial resources, mental and physical condition.

Rehabilitative Alimony

Rehabilitative alimony may be awarded to assist a party in becoming self-supporting through redevelopment of previous skills or acquisition of new skills through training, education, or work experience. In addition, a rehabilitation plan must be included in any order awarding rehabilitative alimony.

Bridge The Gap Transitional Alimony

Bridge-the-gap alimony may be awarded to provide support to a party in making the transition from being married to being single.

The length of an award of bridge-the-gap alimony may not exceed 2 years. An award of bridge-the-gap alimony terminates upon the death of either party or upon the remarriage of the obligee.

An award of bridge-the-gap alimony is not modifiable in amount or duration.

Lump Sum Alimony

Lump Sum alimony is a payment of a fixed and definite sum and is in the nature of a final settlement between the parties.

Lump Sum alimony is a vested right that is not subject to any increase, reduction, or termination in the event of contingency, even death or remarriage.

To award Lump Sum alimony, the court must find proof of special circumstances where other forms of alimony are not available or appropriate.

Nominal Alimony

The court may order a spouse to pay a significantly small amount, as small as $1 a year, until that spouse is able to pay a larger, supportive alimony amount some time in the future.

This alimony is known as “nominal alimony.”

Nominal alimony is not meant to support the receiving spouse, but instead preserves the receiving spouse’s right to receive alimony at a later date.

If you are paying alimony to your former spouse who is living with another individual, and you don’t believe this is fair, your alimony obligation may be reduced or terminated.

Florida has a statute known as the Supportive Relationship Statute, in which a Judge, after considering many factors, could either reduce or terminate your alimony obligation if your ex-spouse and another individual are involved in what is essentially a relationship in which they are essentially married.

What does a judge look at?

Have they acquired property together?

Have they acquired a business together?

Do they have a joint bank account?

Do they support each other financially?

Do they support each other’s children?

Those are just some of the many examples that a Judge would look at in determining whether a supportive relationship exists and whether you may be eligible to have your alimony either reduced or terminated.

Is Alimony Determination Based On Fault?

Although Florida is a no-fault divorce state, the Court may consider the adultery of either spouse and the circumstances thereof in determining the amount of alimony, if any, to be awarded.

You Need An Experienced and Skillful Alimony Attorney To Help Determine Spousal Support Given Your Specific Circumstances

Understanding the laws governing the determination of alimony and having the skills needed to apply all the various factors is crucial in your alimony case.

That is why you should seek the best spousal support lawyer with the experience and skills to help gather all the information needed, analyze the data and effectively present your case in mediation or in court.

Having helped thousands of wives and husbands throughout the Tampa area negotiate and settle their alimony disputes, alimony expert Gary Dolgin is fully equipped to help you too.

Alimony Lawyer Gary Dolgin Will Advocate On Your Behalf During Mediation

As a Supreme Court Certified Family Law Mediator, Gary Dolgin uses his expertise in mediation strategies to guide the negotiation process toward the best possible spousal support agreement.

Mediation can be a highly effective tool in helping to come to an agreement about alimony efficiently and peacefully.

In Some Cases Litigation Is Necessary To Help Achieve The Best Alimony Determination For Your Circumstances

When negotiations fail and an alimony award cannot be agreed upon by you and your spouse, litigation may be necessary to help achieve a fair alimony settlement.

You can count on Gary Dolgin’s 34 years of experience in alimony litigation to help achieve the best possible spousal support award in court. Using his methodical approach to litigation you can rest assured that you will be well-represented in court.

In either case, whether through mediation or litigation, here at the Law Offices of Gary S. Dolgin, you can put your mind at ease knowing that we will work diligently, with integrity and compassion, to represent your interests in your spousal support case.

Modification of Existing Alimony

If you have experienced a change in circumstances since your alimony agreement, we can help you petition the court for a modification of alimony accordingly.

Enforcing Alimony

If you are not receiving the alimony payments specified in your existing court order, we can assist you with enforcement actions for failure to pay, or for failure to pay on time.

A Motion for Contempt can be filed with the Court and if it is determined that your ex-spouse is willfully refusing to pay their court ordered alimony, even if they have the ability to pay, they can be held in contempt.

The court can impose sanctions including fines, statutory interest on arrearages, reimbursement of attorneys fees and potentially incarceration.