TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCJB/Gray Florida Capital Bureau) – It took decades for Florida to have new laws for people seeking divorce.
Most of the changes concern the way judges can award alimony.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 13 percent of marriages in Florida end in divorce. Camille Fiveash's marriage is one of them.
She was married for 30 years before separating from her ex-husband 11 years ago and receiving permanent alimony.
“I stayed home for 30 years, raised the kids and just took care of everything. “Very traditional marriage,” Fiveash said.
Previously, judges had four options for awarding alimony in a divorce case; Bridge the gap, rehabilitative, permanent and lasting. Now permanent maintenance is no longer an option.
“It’s the difference between literally eating and living. I rely 100 percent on this support. I have no other real income,” Fiveash said.
The law applies to new divorces. Any changes to divorce agreements must also comply with the new law.
That's something Sonia Delgado might think about as she nears retirement.
“If the marriage doesn’t last, why should the lifestyle and support last? The logic is that it didn’t work, so each part has to do its best to be independent,” Delgado said.
Delgado has been paying child support for ten years. She said her ex-husband was unemployed and received permanent support for the last five years of their marriage.
“It hurts every time I have to write that check. Even in my case, I was forced into marriage, so I shouldn’t have gotten married at all,” Delgado said.
The new law also makes changes to the duration and eligibility for rehabilitation support.
There was only one change in the law when it came to child support.
This would give parents who move within 50 miles of their children the opportunity to adjust parts of the time-sharing agreement if a judge believes it is in the child's best interests.
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