The Alimony Bill of 2015 is dead, a casualty of the budget battle in the Florida Legislature. Hopes were running high that this year the legislature would amend the alimony statute to make it more predictable and more fair to Florida citizens, but those hopes were dashed when the legislative session expired without the bill even being voted upon.
Hopes now turn to the 2016 legislative session. The bill working its way through the legislature this year will likely come up again next year, perhaps with a few tweaks. The 2015 bill was endorsed by the Family Law Section of the Florida Bar, and before the budgetary crisis there was every reason to believe that alimony reform was just a few short months away. But, the differences between the Florida House and the Florida Senate over, among other things, Medicaid in the state budget, doomed the Alimony Bill. It never came to a vote before the 2015 regular session ended this month.
So, there are no alimony guidelines now, other than the balancing act of need vs. ability to pay that we have all become accustomed to. Alimony remains the least predictable aspect of divorce litigation. If your case involves the danger of alimony, contact an experienced family law firm immediately.