Legal Corner
Alimony Laws Changing Again
The Florida Legislature continues to tinker with alimony laws.
Florida’s alimony laws (also called spousal support) are evolving at a very rapid pace. There are currently two bills pending before the Florida Legislature that will once again change how a court awards alimony, the amount awarded, and the duration of the payments. The House version, HB 549, has already passed, and the Senate version, SB 748, is making progress. Whether good or bad, it appears to me that a majority of the changes are intended to protect the person paying alimony and make it harder for the person receiving alimony. Also, a majority of the changes are for long-term marriages (17 years or longer), and may not have an impact on shorter marriages. However, the Legislature appears to be trying to make alimony awards more …
