Divorce brings many issues to the table. Some spouses have many concerns regarding their post-divorce life. Finances are often a top concern, causing some spouses to seek alimony during dissolution. Spousal support can be a very beneficial and necessary order to obtain during divorce, thus, divorcing couples should understand how alimony could work into their divorce decree.
In Florida, several attempted changes to alimony regulations have been made. While past reforms and attempts to alter and changes the standards of alimony in the state have shown little to no success over the past several years, it is believed that these attempts will continue.
In fact, in the 2017 Legislative Session later this year, lawmakers in the state are going to again tackle this sticky issue. These proposed bills aim to toughen the standards of alimony. The goal is to focus on permanent alimony. Many former spouses believe that such an award isn’t fair to them. However, their exes look at the matter differently, claiming that they should not be penalized for staying at home to raise the children.
How can alimony legislation impact current alimony orders? As currently written, the proposed legislation would retroactively tamper with prior divorces, essentially giving the payer spouse a do-over at the expense of the recipient spouse. Because many former spouses believe that they sacrificed equitable division in order to secure permanent alimony, this could create additional divorce issues.
While alimony reforms have proven to be necessary and helpful, the passing of new legislation could drastically change current alimony orders for some spouses. Whether you are seeking alimony, enforcing alimony or modifying alimony, it is important to understand the rights of both spouses in the matter and how current or recent legislation could impact the process.