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The Future of Alimony: Should You Be Scared?

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The Future of Alimony: Should You Be Scared?

August 12, 2013
Geoff Hoatson

First off let me make this disclaimer: I'm no oracle and I can't predict the future.  If I could, I would be a Powerball winner, sitting on a beach somewhere.  However, I can look at what has been done recently with regards to permanent alimony and which way the tide seems to be flowing.

It was down, but not out!

As many Floridians may be aware, the Florida House and Senate recently passed a bill which would have eliminated permanent alimony and done so retroactively.  However, at the last moment, Governor Rick Scott vetoed the bill.  If we look to Governor Scott's explanation, he felt that by allowing the law to be applied retroactively, it would essentially "pull the rug" out from innocent Floridians who had been reliant on alimony for years.

A look to the future - permanent alimony going the way of the dinosaur?

That said, his justification was very narrow.  He did not seem to have concern about eliminating permanent alimony for new divorce cases.  This should give some indication of what we can expect in the future.  The legislature has clearly set their sights on permanent alimony and setting guidelines for the other types of alimony as a percentage of the payor's gross income.  It is therefore likely that in this next legislative session, another bill will be proposed with these same changes - only leaving out the ability to apply the law retroactively.  If the bill is signed into law, Florida would become the fifth state in the nation to abolish permanent alimony.

As a Florida family law attorney, I would be happy to speak with you about your case and whether you may have a claim for alimony.  I will also work with you to protect any alimony award you may have received from claims for modification.  Please contact the Hoatson Law Firm to set up a consultation to discuss your alimony issues.

As always: the information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established.

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The information in this blog post (“post”) is provided for general informational purposes only and may not reflect the current law in your jurisdiction. No information in this post should be construed as legal advice from the individual author or the law firm, nor is it intended to be a substitute for legal counsel on any subject matter. No reader of this post should act or refrain from acting based on any information included in or accessible through this post without seeking the appropriate legal or other professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a lawyer licensed in the recipient’s state, country, or other appropriate licensing jurisdiction.
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