Last year, the Florida legislature proposed big changes in the way alimony was calculated–in the proposed bill, judges could no longer grant permanent alimony payments and the generally broad discretion given to judges in determining the amount and duration of alimony during a divorce would be based off of guidelines. The amount and duration of alimony would be determined by formulas based on the length of the marriage and the differences in income between the two people divorcing. However, as the alimony bill was coupled with a 50/50 child time-sharing presumption clause, Governor Scott vetoed the bill citing the time-sharing presumption as the reason for the veto.
This year, with the time-sharing presumption clause removed from the proposed alimony bills, 2017 was set to be the year for alimony reformation in Florida. Nevertheless, the Chairman of the Senate Children, Families and Elder Affairs, Representative Rene Garcia, told The News Service of Florida that “we have more pressing issues that we’re dealing with as it relates to the safety and welfare of children than to tie up the committee with the alimony bill at this time.” He would not schedule the bill for a hearing.
That is strike three for alimony reformation in Florida in the past four years.
