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Florida House Representative Wants to Modernize Alimony

Anthony Rodriguez, representative of Florida House District 118 covering parts of Miami-Dade County, seeks to modernize alimony and provide more paths to independence. Alimony is the legal obligation for financial support to a spouse before or after divorce. Rodriguez feels that the burdens placed on both men and women following court-involved divorce cases are far too high.

 

Miami, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/21/2021 -- Historically, Florida's alimony laws had originated from the days when the husband was the primary provider for a family, but this is no longer the case. Both men and women are a family's economic providers. The Women's Bureau of the US Department of Labor noted in 2017 that the percentage of families with children under 18 where the mothers were considered equals in terms of pay and income or where the primary and/or sole providers grew from 15.6% (1970) to 40.4% in 2017, with the expectancy that that number will continue to rise.

"In Florida, it's time for us to update the tired, obsolete, and frankly reflexive approach to the award of alimony in Florida. With the support of the volunteer-run group Florida Family Fairness, I'm working with state Sen. Joe Gruters of Sarasota to build a fresh policy to retire our forever alimony law and join the 44 other states that have ended permanent alimony," Rodriguez says of his initiative.

The proposed legislation (CS/HB 1559/SB 1922) seeks to end permanent alimony and set divorced couples up for success as they transition into independence and self-sufficiency.

"We have taken smart, principle-driven, conservative action to increase economic opportunity for people across our state, provide relief from taxes, and stimulate job creation. This careful proposal to reform our out-of-date divorce laws is a reality-based one."

Alimony can be a tiring process. If you need a Miami family law lawyer to assist you, please call family law attorneys in Miami Rafool, LLC. to get the help you need.

This information is provided for educational or informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. The information is not provided in the course of an attorney-client relationship and is not intended to substitute for legal advice.