What does it mean to be Board Certified?
LEARN MORE

tina.lewert@lewertlaw.com

301 Yamato Rd #4110, Boca Raton, FL 33431, United States

Facebook Instagram
Boca Raton Divorce Lawyer and Family Attorney

Need Help?

561-544-6861

Board Certified Boca Raton Cohabitation Lawyer

Cohabitation can change an alimony obligation, and it raises real questions for unmarried couples too. Tina L. Lewert, a Boca Raton cohabitation lawyer who is Board Certified by The Florida Bar, handles supportive relationship alimony cases and cohabitation agreements.

Contact Us

"*" indicates required fields

By providing your phone number, you agree to receive text messages from Lewert Law LLC. Standard message and data rates may apply. To opt out at any time, reply STOP.
This field is hidden when viewing the form
first_utm_source

How a Boca Raton Cohabitation Lawyer Can Help

Supportive relationships and cohabitation sit at the intersection of family law and finances, and they are genuinely complex, even for lawyers. Among cohabitation lawyers, the ones who handle these cases well understand both the current alimony statute and the kind of evidence a court actually weighs. As a supportive relationship attorney Boca Raton clients rely on, Tina L. Lewert helps people on both sides: the paying spouse seeking to reduce or end alimony, and the receiving spouse defending the support they depend on.

The firm also helps unmarried couples who live together plan ahead with a cohabitation agreement. These are two different issues that share a name, so it helps to take them separately.

Boca Raton Cohabitation Lawyer
Boca Raton Cohabitation Lawyer

Tina Lewert

Contact Info:

Cohabitation and Alimony: The Supportive Relationship Rule

In Florida, alimony does not automatically end just because the person receiving it starts dating or has a new partner. It still terminates on death or remarriage, but cohabitation is handled differently, through what the law calls a supportive relationship.

Under Section 61.14 of the Florida Statutes, as updated by the 2023 alimony reform, a court must reduce or terminate alimony if it makes specific written findings that a supportive relationship exists between the recipient and another person they live with. The key is financial entanglement, not romance. A relationship qualifies when the financial support resembles a marriage. Simply living with a relative who helps out, for example, does not count.

The 2023 reform also clarified who must prove what. The paying spouse carries the initial burden to show, by a preponderance of the evidence, that a supportive relationship exists. If they meet that burden, it shifts to the receiving spouse to show why alimony should not be reduced or terminated.

What a Court Looks At

Because a supportive relationship is about financial reality rather than labels, the court examines how two people actually live. Factors it may weigh include:

  • How long the couple has lived together and whether they share a residence
  • Whether they have pooled assets or income or otherwise intertwined their finances
  • The extent to which either provides support to the other
  • Whether they have jointly purchased property or share expenses
  • Whether they have supported each other's children, even without a legal duty to do so

No single factor decides it. The court looks at the overall picture. As a supportive relationship attorney Boca Raton residents work with, Tina L. Lewert helps gather and present the evidence that matters, whether you are seeking a change or defending against one.

Cohabitation Agreements for Unmarried Couples

Many couples in Florida live together without marrying, and unmarried partners do not have the automatic legal protections that marriage provides. A cohabitation agreement is a contract that lets a couple set expectations in advance, addressing things like how property and expenses are shared, what happens to jointly acquired assets if the relationship ends, and each partner’s financial responsibilities while living together.

As a cohabitation agreement lawyer Boca Raton couples turn to, Tina L. Lewert can draft or review an agreement that fits your situation and is built to hold up. It is a practical step, much like a prenuptial agreement is for couples who marry.

  • Board Certified Specialist, Marital and Family Law, by The Florida Bar, 2009 to present
  • Nationally Board Certified in Family Trial Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy
  • U.S. News "Best Lawyers" 2023 to 2026, Family Law and Family Law Mediation
  • Super Lawyers Magazine's "Top Attorneys in Florida" 2013 to 2025

Why Work With a Board Certified Boca Raton Cohabitation Lawyer

These matters reward an attorney who knows the current alimony statute cold and understands what persuades a court, which is exactly where focused experience matters. Working with a board-certified specialist means your case is handled by someone whose focus and experience in marital and family law have been formally recognized by The Florida Bar. Because Lewert Law keeps a deliberately limited caseload, the attorney you meet is the attorney who handles your matter.

That certified focus has been recognized by The Florida Bar and the wider legal profession:

  • Board Certified Specialist, Marital and Family Law, by The Florida Bar, 2009 to present
  • Nationally Board Certified in Family Trial Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy
  • U.S. News "Best Lawyers" 2023 to 2026, Family Law and Family Law Mediation
  • Super Lawyers Magazine's "Top Attorneys in Florida" 2013 to 2025

Serving Boca Raton and South Florida

Lewert Law is based in Boca Raton and handles cohabitation and supportive relationship matters for clients throughout Palm Beach County and Broward County, including Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Lake Worth, Highland Beach, West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach, Coral Springs, and Parkland. As a Boca Raton family law attorney focused exclusively on marital and family law, Tina L. Lewert handles these cases personally. Local cases are generally heard in the Palm Beach County or Broward County family courts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my ex-spouse's new relationship automatically end my alimony obligation?

No. Alimony ends automatically only on death or remarriage. A new relationship can support a reduction or termination, but only if a court finds a supportive relationship under Section 61.14, which depends on financial entanglement rather than the existence of a romance.

What is a supportive relationship?

It is a relationship in which the alimony recipient lives with another person and the financial support between them resembles a marriage. The court looks at factors such as the length of cohabitation, shared finances, jointly held property, and mutual support. Living with a relative who provides support generally does not qualify.

Who has to prove a supportive relationship exists?

Under the 2023 reform, the paying spouse must first prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, that a supportive relationship exists. If that is established, the burden shifts to the receiving spouse to show why alimony should not be reduced or terminated.

What is a cohabitation agreement, and do unmarried couples need one?

A cohabitation agreement is a contract between unmarried partners who live together, setting out how property, expenses, and finances are handled during the relationship and if it ends. Because unmarried partners lack the automatic protections of marriage, an agreement can provide valuable clarity, similar to a prenuptial agreement for married couples.

How do I prove or defend against a supportive relationship claim?

These cases turn on evidence of how the couple actually lives and shares money, so documentation matters. Lewert Law helps the paying spouse gather and present that evidence, and helps the receiving spouse respond to it, in either case focusing on the financial realities the statute makes relevant.

Where are these cases heard for Boca Raton residents?

A supportive relationship or alimony matter is filed with the Palm Beach County Clerk of the Circuit Court, and for Boca Raton residents these cases are generally heard in the family division at the South County Courthouse, located at 200 W. Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach, the nearest county courthouse to Boca Raton.

Cohabitation questions connect closely to these areas:

Speak With a Boca Raton Cohabitation Lawyer

Whether you are reconsidering an alimony obligation or planning ahead as an unmarried couple, the right guidance makes the path clear. To talk through a supportive relationship or cohabitation agreement with a board-certified Boca Raton cohabitation lawyer, call Lewert Law at (561) 544-6861 or reach out online to schedule a confidential consultation.