Rice Law Firm has been closely following the changes in the law this year on several areas of marital and family law, as shown from our previous blogs. As an update on the issue of alimony in the state of Florida, the ‘Alimony Reform Bill’ that passed both chambers of the Florida legislature during the 2023 Florida legislative session earlier this year, was sent to Florida Governor DeSantis’ office for review. The Governor approved the bill on June 29, 2023, which become law in Florida, effective July 1, 2023. The cases that the new law applies to is for any dissolution of marriage case with an alimony component, still pending resolution on July 1, 2023, or any such cases filed on or after July 1, 2023. The key provisions of the new Alimony Reform Bill are as follows:
- Elimination of permanent alimony in the state of Florida.
- Changes the definition of short-term, moderate, and long-term marriage.
- Short-term marriage was previously up to 7 years in length, but now is 10 years; moderate-term marriage was between 7-17 years in length, but now is between 10-20 years in length; long-term marriage was 17 years or more, but now is 20 years or longer.
- Rehabilitative alimony cannot exceed 5 years in duration.
- Limits Durational alimony payments to the recipients “reasonable needs”
- or thirty-five percent of the difference in net incomes of the spouses, whichever is less.
- Durational alimony may not be awarded following a marriage lasting less
- than 3 years. Also, Durational Alimony may not exceed 50 percent of the length of a short-term marriage, 60 percent the length of a moderate-term marriage, or 75 percent of the length of a long-term marriage.
Partner with the Experts in Volusia County Family Law
At Rice Law Firm we have handled many alimony cases for many clients over the years. If you would like to consult with an experienced divorce lawyer on these issues, please give me a call. 386-257-1222.
