How is alimony determined in Florida, and how did the 2023 reform change it?

Alimony in Florida is governed by Florida Statute § 61.08, which was significantly changed by a 2023 reform (SB 1416) that applies to cases going forward. The most significant change is that permanent alimony has been eliminated; the forms of alimony a court may now award are temporary, bridge-the-gap, rehabilitative, and durational. The reform also placed defined limits on the duration and amount of durational alimony, tied to the length of the marriage and the difference between the parties’ incomes, and it addressed how retirement affects alimony. There is no simple formula that decides every case; the court weighs statutory factors including need and ability to pay. Because this area changed materially and the details matter, the specifics should be confirmed against the current statute — but the key point for divorcing parties is that alimony now takes defined forms with defined limits rather than open-ended permanent support.