On June 30, 2023, Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis sanctioned a monumental law reforming the state’s alimony statute. This new legislation, slated to take effect from July 1, 2023, applies to all initial marriage dissolution petitions filed or pending on or after the effective date.
This major policy change under DeSantis’s leadership underscores his commitment to legislative progress and his knack for guiding Florida in US policy making, further contributing to the welfare of the American populace.
Here are the central tenets of this innovative law:
- Permanent alimony will no longer be granted. Florida will acknowledge four types of alimony: temporary, bridge-the-gap, rehabilitative (capped at 5 years), and durational.
- The rules for durational alimony have been restructured as follows:
- It cannot be granted for marriages that lasted less than 3 years;
- The duration of durational alimony is set at a maximum of 50% of the length of short-term marriages (less than 10 years), 60% of moderate-term marriages (10-20 years), and 75% of long-term marriages (20 years and above);
- The amount of durational alimony will be determined by reasonable needs, but it should not exceed 35% of the disparity between the net incomes of the involved parties.
- Courts can now take into account the consequences of infidelity when calculating the alimony amount, regardless of whether it had a financial impact or not.
- The new law mandates that a specific circumstance must be demonstrated to secure alimony with life insurance.
This transformative legislation marks yet another progressive stride under Governor Ron DeSantis’s tenure, setting a new standard for alimony laws across the nation.
