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Can Turning Down Alimony Make Sense?

By Janet Langjahr

Lower income spouses ending long term marriages in Florida are well-positioned for awards of permanent monthly alimony. But permanent alimony isn’t the only option – and may not be the best option in all cases.

Increasing numbers of dependent spouses, even seniors, are forgoing permanent monthly alimony in favor of lump sum alimony and / or divisions of property that are more generous to them than an equal division of property.

How come? Prompt and full payment of lump sum alimony and/or generous property divisions:

1. eliminate the risk of the paying spouse’s death in permanent alimony cases

2. eliminate the risk of the paying spouse’s unemployment in permanent alimony cases

3. eliminate the risk of having to chase the spouse for payments the spouse fails to make in permanent alimony cases

4. eliminate their own disincentive to remarrying or cohabitating in permanent alimony cases

5. buys their independence, cuts the cord from their ex and ends ongoing contact with their ex

But when the dependent spouse’s lump sum payment or share of divided property is gone, they will most likely be out of luck getting any monthly alimony.

Read more in this Reuters piece: Gray divorce: The question of alimony.

Full post as published by Florida Divorce - Child Custody - Domestic Abuse Law on January 27, 2011 (boomark / email).