When we think of alimony payments, we generally think of ex-husbands who must pay for the living expenses of their ex-wives. However, it is not uncommon for alimony to work the other way around in the State of Florida. Many women are finding themselves legally obligated to pay their ex-husbands every month – and some of them are trying to fight it in court.
One Florida woman, aged 67, is paying her ex-husband $558 every month. The woman claims that changes need to be made to the laws. She says that her husband’s poor spending habits resulted in him squandering his retirement savings, which is why she had more money than him when they chose to divorce. Her having more money resulted in her needing to pay alimony and she says it is just not fair.
The woman has since joined an activist group called Florida Women for Alimony Reform. They are attempting to get a new bill in front of the governor – a bill that would change the current alimony laws in a way that would be favorable to women in their situation. The governor vetoed legislation last May, which would have capped and, in some cases, completely eliminated certain kinds of alimony payments. The governor said that he could not enact legislation that would retroactively affect certain individuals who were already receiving alimony.
The debate continues, and activists continue to work toward the introduction of new legislation that would change Florida alimony laws. Whether or not future reforms will be passed and escape the governor’s veto remains to be seen. In the meantime, ex-spouses can investigate legal strategies to preserve their right to receive alimony and/or prevent themselves from having to pay alimony that is overly high or unfair.
