Tampa Divorce Lawyer on Alimony Modifications
If you are someone who is currently under a court order to provide spousal support ( also referred to as “alimony”), but you have been laid off or furloughed due to the coronavirus Nilo J. Sanchez and the office of Sanchez and Associates, P.A. may be able to help. Under Florida Statute 61.14, most forms of alimony are subject to modification or termination based on a substantial, material, involuntary, and unanticipated change in circumstances that has taken place since the entry of the last order.
Contempt & Other Penalties for Non-Payment of Spousal Support
Due to the coronavirus, or COVID-19, countless Floridians are currently unemployed or furloughed and, as a result, are now unable to make their court ordered alimony payments. An individual who does not make their court ordered alimony payments may be at risk of being found in contempt of court. A person found in contempt of court for failure to pay alimony can be sanctioned by the court and ordered to pay additional fines and—in certain circumstances—may even be sanctioned with short-term incarceration.
In order to avoid being found in contempt, it is important to speak with a Florida licensed attorney to discuss whether you may be qualified to seek either temporary or permanent relief through the court, including abatement of your current alimony obligation.
Abatement of Alimony in Tampa Bay
In order to abate alimony, you will first have to file a motion for abatement and, in most cases, attend mediation prior to your hearing. A motion for abatement may be used to ask the court to temporarily suspend a person’s obligation to pay spousal support for a period of time. This differs from a typical modification of spousal support because a typical modification is intended to be permanent and requires you to file a Supplemental Petition for Modification of Final Judgment.
Contact Tampa Alimony Attorneys Nilo J Sanchez & Associates
If you are someone who meets the above criteria, consider contacting Nilo J. Sanchez and the office of Sanchez and Associates, P.A. to see what assistance we may be able to offer you in abating your current alimony obligation.
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