CBS4/NSF
Florida Governor Rick Scott shot down a bill Wednesday which would have seen an overhaul of the state’s alimony laws.
In a veto letter, Scott pointed to the possibility that the bill could retroactively affect alimony arrangements.
“The retroactive adjustment of alimony could result in unfair, unanticipated results,” the letter said. “Current Florida law already provides for the adjustment of alimony under the proper circumstances. The law also ensures that spouses who have sacrificed their careers to raise a family do not suffer financial catastrophe upon divorce, and that the lower earning spouse and stay-at-home parent will not be financially punished. Floridians have relied on this system post-divorce and planned their lives accordingly.”
The bill (SB 718) would have eliminated the concept of permanent alimony and also carried numerous other potential implications for people whose marriages end in divorce.
Among other things, it would have created new alimony legal standards based on the lengths of marriages. For example, when marriages end in 11 years or less, there would have been what is known as a “rebuttable presumption” against awarding alimony. In contrast, a marriage that ends after 20 years would create a presumption that alimony would be awarded.
Related: Family Law Reform ‘Disappointed’ with Gov. Rick Scott Veto of Alimony Bill
