Am I entitled to Bridge the gap alimony?
“Bridge the gap” alimony is based off the idea that two spouses living apart have more expenses than when they lived together. For example, take a cable bill. While married, a couple only had one cable bill, but because they separated, they now have two separate bills. And rent, food, phone, internet, etc. It is more expensive to live apart than to live together.
The purpose of this alimony is to alleviate some of the hardships associated with transferring from married to single life.
In 2010, the Florida Alimony Statute was updated to put a two-year limit on the duration of receiving this type of alimony. Additionally, in order to argue that you should receive “bridge the gap” alimony, a party must identify specific expenses that they desire to have covered.
Typically, “bridge the gap” alimony is used when the receiving spouse is already employed, and simply needs brief support to transition into the new lifestyle. This differs from Rehabilitative alimony, where the receiving party needs the temporary support for more substantiated reasons.
