Does my ex have to be remarried for alimony to change?

No. Section 61.14(1)(b), F.S. addresses a supportive relationship with someone not related by blood or marriage. Remarriage is a separate matter; a supportive relationship can be found without it.

Is a new boyfriend or girlfriend enough?

On its own, no. The statute looks at economics and permanence — living together at a permanent residence, pooled finances, mutual support, joint property, holding out as a couple. Dating alone does not meet it.

How long does surveillance need to run?

Long enough to show a pattern rather than an incident. That usually means observation spread across weeks, because duration is one of the circumstances the court weighs.

The person paying carries the initial burden, by a preponderance of the evidence. If that is met, the burden shifts to the recipient to show why the award should not be reduced or terminated.

Can an investigator go onto the property to get proof?

No. Work is done from public vantage points with no trespassing and no contact. Evidence obtained improperly can be excluded and can harm the case it was meant to support.

Proving Cohabitation to Modify Alimony in Florida

If you pay alimony and believe your former spouse has moved in with someone, the question is not whether they are dating. Florida law uses a narrower and more practical test: whether a supportive relationship exists. Getting that distinction right is what separates a motion that succeeds from one that costs you money and credibility.

What the statute says

Under s. 61.14(1)(b), F.S., a court may reduce or terminate an award of alimony upon findings that a supportive relationship has existed between the obligee and a person who is not related by consanguinity or affinity. The obligor carries the initial burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that such a relationship exists; if that is met, the burden shifts to the recipient to show why the award should not be reduced or terminated.

The facts a court weighs

The statute sets out the circumstances a court considers. In plain terms, they include:

Whether the two have held themselves out as a married couple — using the same last name, a common mailing address, or referring to each other as husband or wife.
How long they have lived together at a permanent residence.
Whether they have pooled assets or income, or hold joint accounts.
Whether either financially supports the other.
Whether either performs valuable services for the other, or for the other's company or employer.
Whether they have jointly acquired property, or worked jointly to enhance the value of property.
Whether there is an express or implied agreement about property or financial support.
Whether they support each other's children or family members, regardless of any legal duty.

Read that list again and notice what it is really about: economics and permanence, not romance. A relationship that changes the recipient's financial circumstances is what the statute targets. Evidence that proves affection but says nothing about money or living arrangements rarely moves a court.

What useful evidence looks like

Because the test is about an established pattern, isolated moments are weak and sustained documentation is strong:

Residence over time. Where each person actually sleeps, across weeks rather than nights — vehicles present overnight on a consistent basis, belongings moved in, who comes and goes in the morning.
Shared address indicators. Mail and deliveries, vehicle registrations, voter or licence addresses, and listings that name both.
Public presentation. Social media and public records in which the two present as a household. Our social media investigation work covers what is lawfully visible.
Shared economics. Jointly held property, co-signed obligations, business filings naming both, and other records that show money is genuinely mixed. This overlaps with asset searches.
Duration. A documented pattern across months is far more persuasive than a single weekend.

How the evidence is gathered

Surveillance is conducted from public vantage points, without trespassing, without entering private property, and without any contact with the subjects. Nothing is recorded where a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy. Reports are written factually — dates, times, locations, what was observed — and video and stills are retained unedited with their metadata. That discipline is not just ethics; evidence collected improperly is worth nothing to your attorney and can damage your position. Our surveillance page explains the method.

Hypothetical example: over six weeks, the same vehicle is documented at the residence overnight on the great majority of nights, the same person is observed leaving each morning, and public records show a vehicle registered to them at that address. That is a pattern a court can weigh. One night of observation is not.

What this will not do

Proving a supportive relationship does not automatically end alimony. The court may reduce or terminate it, and it weighs the statutory circumstances as a whole. Nor does the statute turn on marriage — a recipient who never remarries can still be found to be in a supportive relationship. And nothing here is legal advice; whether to file, and what relief to seek, is your attorney's call. What an investigator provides is the factual record the motion stands on.

Before you file

Bring your current order and any prior modifications.
Write down what you believe is happening and how you came to know it.
Note addresses, vehicles and names if you have them.
Talk to your family-law attorney about timing — evidence gathered over a sustained period is usually worth the wait.

Broward Private Investigations works with licensed Florida private investigators across Broward County. Contact us for a confidential consultation.