In Florida, there are no set guidelines establishing when alimony, or spousal support, should be awarded. Instead, judges use their own discretion after considering many factors such as the duration or the marriage and the income of both parties.

Alimony can be awarded on a temporary, permanent or rehabilitative basis in Florida. However, a group called Florida Alimony Reform hopes to change that. They say that Florida's alimony laws are outdated and apply to a time when it wasn't as common for women to hold jobs outside of the home.

FAR was founded by a financial advisor from Suntree, Florida, who was ordered to pay permanent alimony to his ex-wife after a 13-year-long marriage and an 8-year-long court battle. The group now reportedly has about 2,000 members.

The FAR founder admitted that there is a need for alimony, but he said that the decades-old laws need to be updated because they are resulting in "short-term marriages ending in long-term alimony."

Three years after its founding, FAR has gained the attention of state lawmakers who have filed bills this session that would modify the state's alimony laws. According to FloridaToday.com, identical bills filed by Rep. Ritch Workman, R-Melbourne and Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, R-Miami Dade would:

  • Base the duration of alimony payments on the length of marriage;
  • End alimony payments when the payer reaches full retirement age;
  • Cap alimony at 20 percent of payer's net monthly income;
  • Prevent judges from considering adultery when setting the amount of alimony; and
  • Allow alimony judgments to be modified by current payers.

According to a law professor at Florida A&M University College of Law in Orlando, Florida is one of many states considering alimony reform. She called the reform "backlash on women," and pointed out that many of the bills are being proposed by men who have been ordered to pay alimony to the ex-wives.

Source: FloridaToday.com, "Times have changes, so should alimony?" Don Walker, Jan. 12, 2012