Florida Alimony Reform Bill Ready for Vote on House Floor

Permanent alimony has been a subject of much debate among divorcing spouses in Florida. However, a CBS12 report suggests that there are changes in store following the introduction of the alimony reform bill by state lawmakers. According to Miami, FL divorce lawyers, the bill is now ready for a vote on the floor of the House following the approval of the second committee last week.

The bill aims to bring an end to permanent alimony payments and bring relief to the paying partner. In addition, the bill also addresses the amount of time non-custodial parents will get to spend their children.

Proponents of the bill are of the opinion that lifetime alimony has never been a fair alternative and did injustice to the paying spouse. On the other hand, opponents of the bill including the National Organization for Women say that bringing an end to alimony payments can only put an additional burden on spouses who have chosen to dedicate time to taking care of their children and have given up their careers for the same. But these woman ignore the fact that the man is getting ripped off for years and years. On top of this, no one forced the woman to give up her career. Even with that said, a child only costs about $500 to $700 a month. How many pairs of shoes do they need?

In terms of child custody, divorce attorneys in Southeast Florida (Divorce.USAttorneys.com) say that the bill seeks to ensure that parents get to share equal time with the kids.

For the most part, the bill has been considered one of the most controversial bills in the House. Many experts in family law believe that the bill will bring about some sort of consistency and continuity in cases of alimony and child support, which is sorely lacking right now. However, opponents including Barbara Cruz of the Women's Resource Center of Sarasota, believe that an end to alimony can have an adverse impact on a recipient spouse’s budget where some may be unable to take proper care of their family. But Cruz is also the same person who believes a child needs to have 2 new pair of shoes every month which is ridiculous. $2,000 a month for one child is preposterous, $500 a month is reasonable.

The center has been proactive in helping women cope with getting back into the workforce but believe and know women without recent work experience can have a very difficult time getting back into the workforce. But these same politicians are the reasons that there is not too many jobs out there. On top of this, so this is pretty much an admission that the husband has to pay for the child and his wife despite his wife being a grown adult who should be able to pay for half the child’s needs and her own. Why is this called child support when it is really former wife support?   

If you saw Season 3 of The Wire you would see this. Elena McNulty was trying to take her ex-husbands entire monthly paycheck! How greedy is one person!? Everyone knows most of this money does not go to the kids so why is it called child support?

Filing for Divorce in Florida

If you are planning to file for a divorce in Florida, here are a few important issues you ought to know about and in which you will need a Miami, FL divorce lawyer for. To begin with, the filing spouse does not have to prove that their partner was at fault in order to get a divorce.

All that the spouse needs to cite is irretrievable breakdown of the marriage without any chance for reconciliation. In addition, a spouse can file for divorce if his or her partner has been mentally debilitated for at least 3 years.

Currently, a spouse may be granted temporary or permanent alimony by the court, which could all change if the latest reform bill is passed. Alimony is granted to the spouse who has an actual need and will consider several factors such as the current financial resources and earning capacity of both spouses. In the case of child custody, the court will consider the child’s best interest and may also order the parents to share responsibilities as long as it would not harm the child in any way.

Whether you are in the process of filing for divorce or need help to resolve child support and custody issues, it would be prudent to seek help from a divorce lawyer in Miami, Florida. What you need is legal representation which you can count on a lawyer experienced in family law to provide. You can contact us for this type of help as well.