My married is 20 years long.  Does that mean I will definitely receive alimony ?  You still need to prove your need for alimony, and your spouse's ability to pay alimony.

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For more advanced reading, here is a Court case that discusses the duration of the marriage and alimony:

ANA E. SCHOMBURG, Appellant, v. ANDREAS H. W. SCHOMBURG, Appellee.

Case No. 2D02-3473

COURT OF APPEAL OF FLORIDA, SECOND DISTRICT

845 So. 2d 257; 2003 Fla. App. LEXIS 6645; 28 Fla. L. Weekly D 1119

May 7, 2003, Opinion Filed

PRIOR HISTORY:  [**1]  Appeal from the Circuit Court for Collier County; William L. Blackwell, Judge.

DISPOSITION: Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded with instructions.

CASE SUMMARY:

PROCEDURAL POSTURE: Appellant wife sought review from a judgment by the Circuit Court for Collier County (Florida) that dissolved her marriage to appellee husband. The wife claimed that, inter alia, the trial court failed to make a child support determination and failed to award her alimony, attorney's fees, and costs.

OVERVIEW: At the time of the parties' filings for dissolution, they had been married 24 years. The appellate court held that because of the long term of the marriage, there was an initial presumption that permanent alimony was proper under Fla. Stat. ch. 61.08(1) (2001). Because the final judgment contained no mention of alimony, attorney's fees, or costs, it had to be remanded for further proceedings. In addition, the final judgment reserved jurisdiction to decide child support. In the interest of judicial economy, that issue was likewise to be resolved on remand with appropriate findings in order to facilitate complete appellate review.

OUTCOME: The judgment was affirmed as to an equitable distribution scheme and a residential custody award; it was reversed and remanded with instructions as to the alimony, attorney's fees, and costs issues.

JUDGES: CASANUEVA, Judge. ALTENBERND, C.J., and FULMER, J., Concur.

OPINIONBY: CASANUEVA

OPINION:  [*258]  CASANUEVA, Judge.

Ana E. Schomburg appeals the final judgment dissolving her marriage to Andreas H. W. Schomburg. She contends the trial court erred by making an unequal distribution of marital assets, by splitting the primary residential custody of the two minor children between the parents, by failing to make a child support determination, by failing to award her alimony or explain why she was not entitled to any, and by failing to award her attorney's fees and costs. We affirm the equitable distribution scheme and residential custody award, finding no abuse of discretion. However, because the final judgment fails to address the issues of alimony and general attorney's fees and costs, n1 we reverse and direct the court to make those determinations.  [**2] 

n1 The trial court reserved ruling on attorney's fees and costs related to an exchange of property the p arties had been ordered to do but omitted any mention of fees and costs for the dissolution proceeding itself.

The parties were married on June 3, 1977. Mrs. Schomburg petitioned for dissolution of marriage in July 2001, and Mr. Schomburg counterpet itioned shortly thereafter. At the time of the filings the parties had been married twenty-four years. Because of the long term of the marriage, there is an initial presumption that permanent alimony is proper. Additionally, the trial court is required to support its alimony decisions with factual findings. §  61.08(1), Fla. Stat. (2001); Milo v. Milo, 718 So. 2d 343 (Fla. 2d DCA 1998) (holding that purpose for requiring findings of fact to support an alimony award is to assist appellate court in providing meaningful review); Perrin v. Perrin, 795 So. 2d 1023 (Fla. 2d DCA 2001) (same). This is especially necessary [**3]  in the current case to overcome the presumption in favor of alimony that arose from the long term of the marriage. Because the final judgment contains no mention of the alimony issue, we remand for further proceedings. Staton v. Staton, 710 So. 2d 744, 745-46 (Fla. 2d DCA 1998).

The final judgment also did not address Mrs. Schomburg's claim for attorney's fees. We therefore remand with instructions that the trial court resolve this issue. Perrin, 795 So. 2d at 1024 (holding that a trial court cannot decide the issue of attorney's fees without findings as to one spouse's ability to pay and the other's need).

The final judgment reserved jurisdiction to decide child support. Because we must remand on the alimony and attorney's fees issues, in the interest of judicial economy this issue should likewise be resolved on remand with appropriate findings in the final order to facilitate complete appellate review.

Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded with instructions.

ALTENBERND, C.J., and FULMER, J., Concur.

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