Rehabilitative alimony must establish a set time period.  A recent divorce case originally from Fort Myers, Florida went up on appeal addressing this very issue.  This case dealt with a seven year marriage.  The Judge correctly decided that permanent alimony was not appropriate.  However, he did order the Husband to pay rehabilitative alimony to allow the Wife to finish her education to become a school teacher.  At trial, the parties disputed how long her education would take to complete.  The Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage stated only that the Husband would pay $3,500 a month in rehabilitative alimony while the Wife finished school.  It did not address for how long he would be required to pay alimony to the Wife.  

The Husband appealed this issue because without a set end point it was possible this rehabilitative alimony could go on forever.  The Second District Court of Appeal agreed with the Husband, finding that orders of rehabilitative alimony must establish a set time period with a specific termination date.

Dustin Michael Butler is an Attorney with Martin Law Firm, P.L., whose practice focuses in Family Law, and Civil Litigation.  He primarily practices in Lee County Florida in Cape Coral and Fort Myers, Florida.

See Draulans v. Draulans, 36 Fla. L. Weekly D2065 (Fla. 2d DCA 2011).