Many state legislatures have recently considered reforming how alimony payments are structured. Among the states involved in this discussion, Florida is pursuing alimony reform, as a bill moved through a legislative committee hearing. Alimony is obviously an important, and sometimes contentious, issue in the arena of family law.

Efforts to change state alimony have come in reaction to activists' claims that current laws are no longer relevant. Supporters of reform believe that laws should be modernized to more accurately reflect the nature of today's families.

The House Judiciary Committee passed the alimony reform bill with only one dissenting vote. In reaction to the bill's progress, the legislative sponsor of the reform said that it's an effort to make alimony payments "fair to both spouses." If the bill is passed into law, lifetime alimony payments would be scrubbed and state laws would outline "long-term" payments that end at some defined point in time.

Alimony reforms have sparked the interest of activist groups throughout Florida. A man involved with a pro-reform group indicated that he is still paying alimony many, many years after his divorce. He also claims that his wife refuses to work to provide her own income because she still receives spousal support payments.

Though many see the wisdom in reforming the state's alimony laws, a representative from the Florida State Bar's family law division urged lawmakers to make some adjustments to the law before it moves any further through congress.

The aim of alimony is to provide a fair settlement to both spouses. Adjusting to life after divorce can be difficult for someone that has grown used to the financial arrangements of their marriage. Alimony is designed to help divorcing spouses make adjustments to their financial situation, so they can live comfortably post-divorce. As such, any reform that is considered should aid divorcing couples in reaching the settlement that they deserve.

Source: Miami Herald, "Bill aims to overhaul Fla. alimony law," Feb. 16, 2012