In what has become an annual tradition here in Florida, any attempts at Alimony Reform have once again died in the latest
legislative session. Both the House and the Senate provided Alimony Reform Bills, (of which the Senate bill never even made it out of chambers) and both are all but dead with there being considerable debate regarding the House Bill that made it to Committee.
The 2020 proposed Bill included a termination of “Permanent” or life-
time alimony awards, and would have prioritized a “bridge the gap” alimony system, which would be temporary in nature. The bill would have also capped Rehabilitative alimony at 5 years, and Durational alimony to the length of the marriage (which would/could affect those people with marriages that lasted more than 17 years).
Florida’s last update to alimony was about a decade ago, when they added bridge- the-gap alimony to the statute. Despite this year’s apparent failure to pass any bill, Pensacola Republican Representative Alex Andrade has stated he will take another shot at it next year.
If you have any questions or concerns about alimony, or any other spousal support issues, please feel free to contact our offices at your convenience so that we may assist you.
