In previous posts, I had written about proposed changes to the Florida Alimony Statute (section 61.08, Florida Statutes) that were under consideration in Florida Senate Bill 748 and Florida House Bill 549.
Well, as it turns out, neither of these bills passed in the Florida Legislature’s 2012 session. On March 9, the Senate Bill died in Rules, while the House Bill died in Judiciary.
If you have questions concerning your Florida alimony case and you are looking to retain a Tampa Bay alimony attorney, contact The Law Firm of Adam B. Cordover, P.A., at 813-443-0615 or by filling out our online form.
About Adam B. Cordover, Attorney-at-Law
Family Diplomacy is dedicated to helping clients restructure their families privately and respectfully. We practice exclusively in out-of-court dispute resolution, with a focus on collaborative divorce and family law, mediation, direct negotiations, and unbundled legal services.
We maintain this out-of-court practice because we strongly believe that family disputes should be resolved in a private conference room, not in a hostile and public courtroom environment. This unique perspective on family law stems back to Adam B. Cordover’s experience studying International Affairs in Washington, D.C., and abroad. Adam had the rare opportunity to work closely with ambassadors and diplomats from war-torn regions around the world. He traveled around the globe, learning from diplomatic leaders as they applied dispute resolution techniques to tackle seemingly impossible conflicts. It dawned on him: If these techniques can work in the complex world of International Relations, why not Domestic Relations and Family Law?
This realization lead Adam to create an exclusively out-of-court practice and to bring a more peacemaking approach to family law. In his previous role as a litigation attorney, Adam witnessed parties experience the negative emotional and financial effects that long, drawn out divorce battles can have on families. As a result, Adam has become a strong proponent of the Collaborative Process, where a structure is put in place so that life’s hardest moments do not have to be any more difficult than necessary.
A thought leader in the international collaborative law community, Adam successfully spearheaded an effort of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit to draft an administrative order safeguarding the principles of collaborative family law (just the fourth such administrative order in Florida). Adam has been featured in or interviewed about collaborative practice by the Tampa Bay Times, Tampa Tribune, Orlando Sentinel, Miami Herald, Tampa Bay Business Journal, Florida Bar News, NBC, Fox 13, Bay News 9, ABC Action News, The World of Collaborative Practice Magazine, and Spirit FM 90.5. Adam regularly speaks at professional and civic organizations locally and internationally regarding the collaborative process.
Adam B. Cordover is president of Next Generation Divorce, a 501(c)(3) and Florida’s largest interdisciplinary collaborative practice group with member attorneys, mental health professionals, and financial professionals throughout Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Sarasota, and Manatee Counties. Adam is also on the Executive Board and co-chair of the Research Committee of the Collaborative Family Law Council of Florida. Further, Adam is a graduate of the inaugural class of the Leadership Academy of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals.
You can learn more about us and our services at www.FamilyDiplomacy.com.
Attorney Adam B. Cordover is admitted to the Florida Bar and the United States District Court, Middle District of Florida. His office is located at 412 East Madison Street, Suite 824, Tampa, Florida 33602.
ABC Family Law Blog 
The House Bill passed Judiciary and was actually voted on the Floor. It received a convincing 83-30 vote in favor of reform. The Senate Bill was never taken to the floor for a vote by the Senate Sponsor, as the Senate Bill did not consitute any substantial amount of reform. So no reform was had this session. Please correct the facts in your post.
Thank you for the update.
You should know that I am simply reciting the bills’ histories as presented on the Florida Senate website. You may want to contact the Florida Senate if their information is incorrect.
Here is the link to the Senate Report on the House Bill: http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2012/0549
Thank God. These actions are taken by those who are bitter about paying alimony after dumping the first wife for a younger model. Or perhaps were caught cheating in the marriage. Or even worse perpetrated violence and abuse upon their spouse. They then want to walk away from 10 15 or 20 plus year marriages and leave the stay at home spouse without means of support. Stating that a 50+ year old person shoulld re-enter the workforce after-being unemployed for 20-30 years along with perhaps still having children in the home who need supervision.
If there is a movement in place to lobby against this ill borne reform please email me as I will contribute monetarily or any other way possible.
I can only pray our legislators care enough about children and family to not enact this bill of hypocrisy
Amen! I am married to a military person who has used his position in the military to sleep around with younger women, I have 3 children still at home and I have done nothing but support him. Now he wants to leave me because he is not happy and has the right to be happy, and this is fine; however I have done nothing but raise 4 children practically alone and 3 are still in need of supervision as you say, and I have no idea how I am going to support them without ending in a trailer somewhere while he is living the high life with a 20 year old. How this is fair I do not know, but if reform hurts people like me it is just plain unjust! Not to mention the psychological trauma this has left me and the kids.
…And what would you say in my case ? I was married for twenty years, went to work overseas so we could earn more money and buy a house. She went out drinking every night and spent the money as fast as I could make it. She is college educated but with my being ordered to pay her $2,000.00 per month, she does not work, she drinks and does drugs. I however cannot even think about retirering and when I can no longer work, she gets half of my SS. My point is – every case is different. And hats off to you responsible ladies raising your children the way you should !
Thanks for listening to my side of the story –
I agree with the comment above. It is a good thing the senate let this bill die.
Many of you probably don’t realize it, but these lobbyist are in my state too.
They are funded by some very wealthy x-husband. This bill is not going to help the middle
class or poor. Anything you save will be offset by increase taxes. This is a rich man bill, passing the cost of their divorce to the middle class tax payer. Very similar to how they passed off their mortgage back loans. Have you ever wandered why there is no income cap on the bill.
There will be many many women who will fall into the system because of this bill. How do you feel picking up the wife of the exec. on Wall Street that made a bonus of $.6million last year.
They are the people paying these lobbyist that are going from state to state. I am all for giving the guy who doesn’t make enough to pay alimony a break but set an income cap so your not just picking up the cost of the wealthy. Your net savings will be washed out with increase taxes.
The middle class fell for the mortgage back loans too. They purchased them and thought what a great deal. Who paid the cost of those. The same people that designed those deals, worked on this. They passed the loans off to the gov. and now their x-wife. Put a cap on the bill and see what happens and then you will know who is pushing this.
It is being presented as to make things fair. Fair for who? The wealthy. They are taking their liab. off of their balance sheet and passing it to the middle class. The middle class always pays
in the end because there is not enough wealthy people. Wake up people. You are being
taken for a ride. Your senate was smart. They know who is behind this bill.
Call your senate and thank them.
I wish it did pass, my wife of 6 years goes out all the time, running around with other people, does not appreciate the fact that I work a full time job to support her, her daughter and her mother. Now she wants a divorce and wants to take it all away. How is that fair?? I don’t understand how I am entitled to support 3 people that walk all over me, and spit on me when I’m sick.
Pingback: Opposing Sides Brace for 2013 Florida Alimony Reform Legislative Battle | ABC Family Law Blog