After three earlier attempts ended in vetoes, the House on Tuesday gave final approval to a bill that would overhaul Florida’s alimony laws.
The House voted 102-12 to pass the measure (SB 1416), which the Senate approved last month. It now will go to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The bill, in part, would eliminate what is known as permanent alimony and create a formula for alimony payments based on the length of marriages.
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Among other changes, it would allow people paying alimony to seek modifications if “a supportive relationship exists or has existed” involving their ex-spouses in the previous year.
DeSantis last year vetoed an alimony bill, and former Gov. Rick Scott vetoed two alimony measures. But after years of battling about the issue, the Florida Bar’s Family Law Section and supporters of overhauling the system signed off on this year’s version.
While the bill moved steadily through the Legislature, it drew criticism from members of the “First Wives Advocacy” group, which is made up mostly of older women who rely on permanent alimony payments.
But Senate sponsor Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, has said the measure would not unconstitutionally affect existing alimony settlements, a concern raised by DeSantis when he vetoed last year’s bill.
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