Oakland Park divorce attorneys, Burlington & Rockenbach, P.A., have focused on family law litigation while also specializing in civil litigation and appellate law. They understand that major reforms such as those occurring under Florida’s new alimony laws in florida are complex and impact several aspects of the overall process, from the strategies utilized during the litigation, to specialized research of updated alimony issues, to the appellate practice of questioning the new alimony laws through oral arguments in the appellate court setting. During the past few months, Amelia Dayton at Delegates Unbound has outlined the major changes to Florida’s alimony laws. In this forty-five minute podcast here, she discusses the most pertinent aspects of the alimony reform debate in the Sunshine State. As this process unfolds, divorce lawyers are discovering the intricacies of the new changes and are likely to alter their overall strategies to capitalize on the nuances of the reformed alimony laws. In addition, appellate attorneys may find that due to recent case law, there are challenges on the horizon that clients must be aware of. Clients also need to know that the Florida legislature is currently considering a number of bills with the possibility of further changes to the alimony laws. Florida Statutes chapters 61.08 (alimony) and 61.09 (enforcement and modification of alimony awards) were repealed and replaced by the Alimony Reform Act of 2011 (effective October 1, 2011). The Alimony Reform Act of 2011 brings about the following major changes: Notably, the new Florida alimony laws do not apply retroactively. Final orders and judgments already entered prior to the effective date of this law are not open to modification except under the existing statutes. Additionally, amendments from the Alimony Reform Act of 2011 also do not apply retroactively to any parties that have entered into an agreement resolving issues related to alimony or property distribution.

For more information on family law and alimony, you can visit the Nolo website.