Status of Florida’s Alimony Reform Bill in 2020

• The bill eliminated permanent alimony and limited durational alimony to 50% of the total length of the marriage.
• The bill capped the amount of durational alimony to 25% of the parties’ combined net income and the total combined net income to $300,000. Said differently, alimony recipients would have received no more than 25% of the parties’ combined net incomes up to $300,000.
• The bill required the alimony recipient to be responsible for purchasing life insurance on the payor’s life, if they so desired.
• The bill eliminated a Court’s consideration of a party’s “standard of living” when calculating an alimony award. This is unlike the current law, which does consider an alimony recipient’s regular, recurring expenses incurred during the marriage.
• The bill set a presumption of equal time-sharing between parents.

According to Floridapolitics.com, some Representatives, like Rep. Clay Yarborough, were concerned about how parts of the Florida alimony reform bill may cause recipients to possibly turn to the State and taxpayers for help. The proposal of a 50% cap on the length of durational alimony was of particular concern. Concerns like these from the Representatives may have ultimately caused Florida’s alimony reform bill to fail.

What’s Next for Alimony in Florida?

Alimony reform has been a popular issue during legislative sessions in Florida for the past several years. In 2016, an alimony reform bill passed a vote of both House and Senate before Florida Governor Rick Scott vetoed it. So, it appears alimony reform may be inevitable. But, for right now, alimony law in the State of Florida stays the same and this proposal won’t affect your alimony in Florida case.

Lexie Larkin specializes in complex family law matters and is well-experienced in solving alimony issues. If you have questions regarding Florida’s alimony reform bill or your alimony in Florida case, contact Lexie Larkin at Larkin Law in Tampa, FL.