Grant Gisondo, a Family Law Attorney in West Palm Beach, Florida, finds there are more and more instances when it is necessary to prove cohabitation involving post-marriage alimony or otherwise termed spousal support cases. This is because family law in Florida now equates cohabitation with remarriage when it comes to deciding if an alimony award should be terminated.

There are six types of alimony in Florida that can be awarded, and permanent alimony is one of the most common, especially in long term marriages. When permanent alimony is granted, the amount awarded is to be paid for the life of the payee or payor. However, if the former spouse receiving the alimony should remarry, the payment of permanent alimony stops. For many years the only stipulation for stopping permanent alimony was remarriage or death, but this is not true anymore.

As Attorney Gisondo points out, the law now states that should someone be living in a cohabitating relationship, it is considered the same as marriage when determining the ending of alimony payments.A cohabitating relationship is one where two persons who are not related are living together in a supportive relationship. Of course, the cohabitation must be proven for a court to discontinue the award of spousal support. There are several ways in which this can be done.

• Hire a private investigator to find actual proof of the cohabitation.
• Background checks to determine who your ex-spouse is living with
• Research ownership (public record) of the home your ex-spouse is living in. It could be owned jointly by your ex-spouse and the person he or she is cohabitating with. Sometimes when a dwelling is being rented, the owner shown in public records will tell you whose name or names are on the lease.
• Have friends who are still in social media contact with your ex-spouse search for posts on Facebook, Twitter, and others for pictures and or incriminating messages which verify your ex-spouse is cohabitating. Have your friends download the proof.

Alimony payments for life can be a drain on the payee’s finances so if you suspect your ex-spouse is having a cohabitation relationship, consult an attorney and follow his or her advice. Usually hiring a private investigator is the surest and fastest way to proceed but your attorney will know for sure. For those living in Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Miami Dade, Broward, Orange, or Hillsborough county, or New York or Washington DC, Attorney Gisondo can help with your cohabitation concerns. He offers a free, initial consultation, in-office, where he will answer your questions and share how he can help. Contact his office at 561-530-4568 to make an appointment. The office hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Saturday, for new clients, from 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM.