Florida Governor Rick Scott vetoed the contentious Alimony and Time Sharing Reform Bill today. The bill, which passed the Florida House and Florida Senate, was set to drastically change the current Florida alimony laws. The bill would have set forth a formula the court’s would have used to calculate a parties alimony obligation, similar to the way the court’s now calculate child support. A provision was also added late in the bill that would have set forth a premise that all families should have a 50/50 equal time sharing schedule.
Governor Rick Scott vetoed the bill, according to his veto letter, because of the provision that required that all family law cases start with the premise that there should be 50/50 time sharing. Governor Scott stated “ [The] bill’s proposed revisions to Florida’s alimony and child custody laws have evoked passionate reactions from thousands of Floridians because divorce affects families in many different ways. The one constant though is that when a divorce involves a minor child, the needs of the child must come before all others. Current law directs a judge to consider the needs and interests of the children first when determining a parenting plan and time sharing-schedule. This bill has the potential to up-end that policy in favor of putting the wants of a parent before the child’s best interest by creating a premise of equal time-sharing. Our judges must consider each family’s unique situation and abilities and put the best interests of the child above all else.”
A similar bill was also vetoed by Governor Rick Scott several years ago. The current alimony and time sharing laws stand as a result of this years veto. The McKinney Law Group offers no opinion or comment on the proposed changes. Every case is unique and you should consult your family law attorney regarding alimony and time sharing laws as they stand today.
If you have any questions regarding family law or require legal assistance in other areas of Family Law you may always contact Damien McKinney of The McKinney Law Group to discuss your case further. He can be reached by phone at 813-428-3400 or by e-mail at [email protected].