TALLAHASSEE – The legislation, being debated in a Florida Senate committee Monday afternoon, would end permanent child support and establish formulas for how much and how long a spouse would make or receive payments.
Deborah Favata-Shultz, an Apollo Beach doctor, has been paying child support for 17 years.
“I paid child support as long as we were married,” Shultz said.
Under the proposed sweeping changes, alimony would no longer be permanent, but would be limited to half the marriage period.
“I am 68 years old. I want to retire. I don’t know how I’m going to do it if I have to keep paying him that money,” Shultz said.
Senate bill sponsor Joe Gruters said the alimony payments would also end upon retirement.
“This does not end the alimony payments. Only permanent maintenance ends. But on top of that, you still get 50 percent of the total marital property,” Gruters said.
Under current law, alimony ends only when a spouse remarries or when a court agrees. But this legislation ends alimony payments when someone receives significant support, such as a child’s death. B. Living with someone who will help pay the bills.
“What happens is they’re just never going to get married again because it’s not in their best interest. And ultimately, it cheats the system,” said Rep. Anthony Rodriquez, who supports the bill in the House of Representatives.
The Florida National Organization for Women has been fighting the changes for a decade.
“This woman is being punished for staying home and taking care of the kids while her husband advances his career and then pushing her aside,” Barbara DeVane told Florida NOW.
The legislation makes it easier for both spouses to go to court to seek an up or down change.
The bill also says there is a presumption that spouses will share children equally.
Similar ideas were rejected by the then governor. Rick Scott in 2013 and again in 2016.
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