Are Women Pushing Florida’s Alimony Reform?

Alimony reform in Florida cannot get here quick enough for many people. Surprisingly, the individuals who are most anxious for the legal obligation to provide spousal maintenance payments after divorce are females who have been ordered to pay alimony.

Spousal support is a court-ordered, ongoing payment made by the higher-earning spouse to the lower-earning one. While men are typically the higher-earner and thus ordered to pay alimony, the number of females that are out-earning their spouse is increasing.

Interestingly, now that women are being ordered to pay spousal maintenance more often, they are getting more involved in advocating for change.

“It’s unfair for men to pay it, and unfair for women to pay it. But women are much more outraged by it,” said Ken Neumann, a founder of the Academy of Professional Family Mediators.

If you are in a situation where you believe you may be entitled to alimony, you may want to consider settling the issue with your spouse. As legal and social support for awarding alimony continues to fade, the courts will likely only award alimony in rare cases.

Many states have already decreased spousal support judgments, especially for marriages lasting less than 20 years. For example, Massachusetts, Texas and Kansas all restrict most alimony awards to cases involving the lower-earner needed assistance to get back on their feet or to obtain further education. It is a general belief that everyone should work, so permanent alimony awards should be limited to those who are disabled or are in retirement. As for Florida, our laws are still evolving, but they seem to be moving in the right direction.

Men often find it difficult to find a divorce attorney who understands the unique male perspective on family law matters. If you are facing divorce or you have other family law needs, our legal team is here to help. Contact the Men’s Divorce Law Firm to schedule a consultation with a caring professional, and aggressive advocate for men’s rights in divorce, child timesharing (custody), and paternity matters.