EAST SERVI >>JENNIFER WAUGH: THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE IS CONSIDERING AN
ALIMONY REFORM BILL THAT WOULD
SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGE DIVORCE
AND CHILD CUSTODY LAWS HERE IN
THE STATE OF FLORIDA,
LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS WERE
FILED IN TALLAHASSEE EARLIER
THIS MONTH MARKING THE 4TH TIME
IN RECENT YEARS THAT FLORIDA
LAWMAKERS HAVE TRIED TO PASS
ALIMONY REFORM JOINING ME NOW
IS LAWRENCE STATS, A LOCAL
FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY GOOD
MORNING, THANKS FOR BEING WITH
US. GOOD MORNING. THANKS FOR
HAVING ME. SO THE BILLS CALL
ESSENTIALLY FOR ELIMINATING
PERMANENT ALIMONY WOULD YOU
PLEASE EXPLAIN TO OUR VIEWERS.
THE ARGUMENTS IN FAVOR AND
OPPOSED TO THIS PORTION OF THE
BILL.
SURE.
BILL. SURE. >> A PERMANENT ALIMONY
TERMINATES ON THE DEATH OF THE
RECIPIENT OR EXCUSE ME THE
DEATH OF EITHER PARTY OR THE
REMARRIAGE OF THE RECIPIENT.
SO IT MAY GO A SHORT TIME AGO A
LONG TIME IT JUST.
DEPENDS ON A BUNCH OF VARIABLES
AND IT’S ALSO SUBJECT
TO MODIFICATION IF EITHER PARTY
HAS A SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE IN
CIRCUMSTANCES.
>> AND THE PROS AND CONS TO
THIS.
>> WELL. THAT.
>> I THINK IT’S MOSTLY
NEGATIVE.
WHEN YOU
MOST DIVORCE LAWYERS, PRI
REPRESENT ABOUT A HALF PEOPLE
WHO WOULD PAY ALIMONY ABOUT
HAVE PEOPLE WHO WOULD
RECEIVE IT. WHAT IT WOULD DO IS
TAKE AWAY THE COURTS
FLEXIBILITY TO TAILOR SOMETHING
TO A PARTICULAR FAMILY. THE
PROPONENTS OF
THE BILL SAY ITS PREDICTABILITY
IN AN ESSENCE THEY ARE IN A
SLAVE TO ALIMONY FOR YEARS
YEARS AND YEARS
ON END.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: SO THOSE WHO
AND JUST TO TO TO FURTHER KIND
OF DIG DEEPER INTO THIS YOU
KNOW THERE ARE THOSE WHO ARGUE
THAT IT IS NOT FAIR THAT A
COUPLE
CAN DIVORCE AND THAT IT ONE OF
THE SPOUSES WHO IS RECEIVING
ALIMONY CAN ESSENTIALLY STAY
SINGLE FOREVER, EVEN THOUGH HE
OR SHE MAY BE LIVING WITH
SOMEONE ELSE AND SHARING A HOME
IN
SHARING BILLS AND CONTINUE TO
RECEIVE ALIMONY FOR THAT LONG
DURATION.
>> A
FALSE CLAIM THE WAY LAW
EXISTS NOW IS THAT
THE COURTS COULD MODIFY UNDER
THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES AND EVEN IF
THERE’S A STATUTE THE BANK’S
PROVISION FOR SOMETHING CALLED
A SUPPORTIVE RELATIONSHIP
WHICH IT FITS WITHIN THOSE
CIRCUMSTANCES TO.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: ANOTHER PART
OF THIS BILL IS LIMITING
DURATION UL ALIMONY TO 50% OF
THE DURATION OF THE MARRIAGE
WOULD YOU EXPLAIN MAKIN REGULAR
TERMS.
DURATION ONLY WOULD NORMALLY TERMINATE THE WAY IT EXISTS NOW.
IT CAN’T BE AWARDED FOR ANY
LONGER THAN THE LENGTH OF THE
MARRIAGE. SO THIS WOULD CUT
THAT DOWN BY HIM,
YEAH AND THE PROBLEM WITH ALL
OF IT IS IS ALIMONY IS BASED
UPON THAT FINANCIAL NEED OF ONE
SPOUSE AND THE THE OTHER
SPOUSE. SO THAT THE SPOUSE, THE
HAS THE FINANCIAL NEED IN
ESSENCE COM FALL OFF A CLIFF.
IN TERMS OF AIR SUPPORT
AND SO.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: JUST IF WE
ADD SOME SOME NUMBERS TO THIS
IS AN
EXAMPLE SO IF YOU’RE MARRIED
LET’S SAY 4 TET YOU’RE MARRIED
FOR 10 YEARS. AND YOU WERE
TO DIVORCE UNDER
THIS BILL. HOW LONG WOULD YOU
THEN BE ABLE TO RECEIVE ALIMONY
NO LONGER THAN 5 YEARS. SO HAVE
A MATTER WHAT AND WHAT ABOUT
MARITAL ASSETS DOES THIS
ADDRESS THIS VILLAGE ARE
ADDRESSED AT OR OR MAKE ANY
CHANGES.
>> NOT REALLY THE YOUNG
DIVISION
OF PROPERTY.
>> TYPICALLY IS 50% THERE CAN
BE REASONS TO DEVIATE FROM THE
50%.
50%. >> SO THE PROPONENTS OF THE BILL WOULD ARGUE, WELL LOOK
YOU’RE GET HALF OF THAT AFTER
ASSETS ANYWAY.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: AND THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME THIS
MORNING AT YOU KNOW THIS IS
EARLY IT’S STILL IN COMMITTEE
THERE’S BEEN A DELAY ON THE
VOTE IN COMMITTEE SO WE’LL
CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THIS.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME THIS
MORNING. WELL, THANKS
FOR HAPPEN. AND I DO ALSO WANT
TO POINT OUT TO OTHER THINGS
ABOUT THIS BILL IT WOULD ALSO
ALLOW SOMEONE WHO RETIRES TO
STOP PAYING ALIMONY AND IF THIS