Another measure designed to rewrite the alimony laws in Florida has once again failed. The proposed billrepresented a radical change to existing laws and took aim at archaic rules and issues that may unfairly impact individuals across the state.
The proposed legislation to change the alimony laws was a year in the making, and brought together many lawmakers who had historically been on opposite sides of other fights. It gained both Republican and Democratic votes, and many were hopeful the bipartisan support would help the measure pass Florida’s House and Senate. However, it died in the Senate in April.
The bill would have allowed for new ways of measuring alimony, similar to existing child support laws. It would have disfavored permanent alimony and allowed for a more objective way of determining when spousal support was truly necessary.
Single provision takes down entire bill
Many critics argue that the bill failed to pass due to a provision that required a 50/50 presumption with regards to child sharing between divorcing spouses. In fact, the Family Law Section of the Bar supported the changes to alimony law, but expressed strong opposition to the provision. This provision has been a sticking point throughout the history of this bill, dating back to 2013, when the first iteration of the measure also failed to pass.
Now that the bill has failed a second time, once-mended rifts in political relationships have deepened. Several lawmakers expressed frustration with one another after the bill did not pass, and even accused some legislators of dooming the bill because of unrelated political matters.
For individuals going through divorce in Florida, the laws associated with alimony and spousal support can be confusing. For the assistance and guidance you need, consult a knowledgeable family law attorney with the Law Office of K. Dean Kantaras today.