On April 15th, 2016 – Governor Scott vetoed the proposed alimony bill.

Alimony reform and proposed changes to child-sharing laws will have to wait another year.  Gov. Rick Scott vetoed SB 668 objecting to a 50/50 time-sharing provision in the bill that would have mandated the courts presume that equal time-sharing between parents is in the best interest of the child.  Click here to read text of bill.

While Scott opposed the custody provisions, the bulk of the bill dealt with alimony reform which would, among other things, have provided the courts with established calculation guidelines to determine the amount of  support based on length of a marriage and the incomes of both parties.   Alimony would have been more predictable to the parties, similar to the Florida child support guidelines. Currently the amount of support or maintenance awarded in factually similar cases, can vary greatly from case to case and county to county in Florida.  It is difficult for attorneys to give their clients a definite answer on the amount of alimony, if any that will be awarded.

It is the second time Scott has vetoed an alimony reform bill.  In 2013 he last vetoed alimony reform, citing a clause in that bill which would have made the law retroactive to all cases.

This year’s bill, which did not have that clause, did have some legislators, health professionals and attorneys concerned over lumping alimony reform and equal time sharing into one bill.

To schedule a consultation please telephone our office 727-846-1802.