ORLANDO, Fla., May 17, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- More moms than ever are paying child support and alimony to their former husbands according to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. In a new survey, the AAML states that more than half of all divorce attorneys have noticed a spike in the number of women paying alimony and child support to their ex-husbands in the past three years. Why is that? This change has occurred because 23% of all wives earn more income than their husband, and women now hold 51% of all managerial and professional professions.
Alimony was originally intended for women whose husbands left them when women had few career opportunities and civil rights. Well times have certainly changed and women are now contributing much more to the household income. In a bizarre twist of interpretation of current law, women who want to marry men who have been ordered to pay lifetime alimony to their former wife, may have their own hard earned income counted against them. The income of new wives of "lifetime alimony payers" is now considered 'family income' and can be used to upwardly modify the amount of alimony payable to an ex-wife. Alan Frisher, a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst and Co-director of Florida Alimony Reform, says, "Many women in Florida won't marry their significant others for fear that part of their hard earned income and assets could be used to help support his ex-wife."
Move over Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton and Bette Midler of 'First Wives Club' fame. The Florida Second Wives Club is taking charge in the fight for alimony reform. The Florida Second Wives Club is a subgroup of Florida Alimony Reform (FAR), the largest alimony reform group in America.
Florida is one of the few states that allows for permanent lifetime alimony, which does not end at retirement, but only ceases upon the death of either party, or remarriage of the recipient. During the 2012 Legislative Session, FAR proposed an overhaul of what it calls Florida's antiquated and outdated alimony laws. The Florida House of Representatives, by a convincing vote of 83-30, passed HB 549 for alimony reform, but the bill died in the Senate.
In Massachusetts, where alimony reform was signed into law this past September, the Massachusetts' Second Wives Club was instrumental in their success. Now Florida second wives are gaining momentum in the sunshine state and are helping to pave the way to reform.
For more information, go to www.FloridaAlimonyReform.com.
The Florida Alimony Reform logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=11350
For interviews, contact Alan Frisher at info@floridaalimonyreform.com or 352-577-5706.