Bills would reform alimony in Florida
Alimony reform appears to be a hot topic around the country following the recent passage of a bill in Massachusetts that brought these spousal support payments in line with reality.
Florida has hopped on the alimony reform bandwagon with nearly identical bills being introduced in the House and the Senate.
“Florida’s permanent alimony laws are relics from another century,” Representative Ritch Workman, sponsor of HB 549 in the House, said. “I support helping the lower-earning spouse during a transition period after a marriage ends, but there are too many injustices in the current system. Too often, lifetime alimony brings payers to bankruptcy, insolvency, and foreclosure. Lifetime alimony sends the wrong message to those getting divorced in our state.”
Specifically the bills (the one in the state Senate is SB 748) would put a cap on the length of time alimony can be paid based on the length of the marriage, would virtually end alimony once retirement age is reached and would limit the maximum amount of alimony paid to 20 percent of the payer’s monthly income, among other provisions, according to Florida Alimony Reform.
Lawmakers in New Jersey are also reportedly attempting to reform the state’s alimony laws, according to the Huffington Post.
Read more about alimony reform efforts on our affiliated website MensRights.com.
Written by Joseph E. Cordell
Joseph E. Cordell is the Principal Partner at Cordell and Cordell, P.C., which he founded in 1990 with his wife, Yvonne. Over the past 25 years, the firm has grown to include more than 100 offices in 30 states, as well as internationally in the United Kingdom. Mr. Cordell is licensed to practice in the states of Illinois and Missouri and received his LL.M. from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Joseph E. Cordell was named one of the Top 10 Best Family Law Attorneys for Client Satisfaction in Missouri.