A common misconception is that alimony is unavailable in short term marriages. Florida law says otherwise. Under Florida Statute 61.08, several forms of alimony may be awarded even when a marriage is brief. While durational alimony is limited to marriages of three years or more, other types—such as bridge the gap, temporary, and rehabilitative alimony—remain available for marriages lasting less than three years when one spouse has a financial need and the other has the ability to pay.
For marriages lasting three to ten years, which Florida defines as short term marriages, durational alimony may also be awarded. In these cases, the presumptive length of the alimony award is 50% of the length of the marriage, calculated from the date of marriage to the date the petition for dissolution is filed. This framework ensures that even spouses leaving shorter marriages have the opportunity to transition financially when their economic circumstances warrant support.
The key considerations—regardless of length—are always need and ability to pay. Florida’s alimony laws recognize that financial partnership exists in every marriage, long or short, and provide tools to promote fairness when spouses move forward independently.
