Recent happenings in Florida may spark the interest of some residents here in Arizona. According to news reports from the Sun Sentinel, legislators in Florida are taking a new bill under consideration. The new bill would put a stop to permanent alimony within the confines of the state. The proposal comes on the heels of additional legislation that mandates permanent alimony be limited to marital relationships that lasted a "longer" period of time.

According to some, the alimony laws in the state of Florida are antiquated and old-fashioned. It's not unlikely that there are some people who believe the same thing about the laws in Arizona. Still, some people are arguing that alimony is well-deserved for a specified group of individuals facing divorce. For example, a woman who was married for an extended period of time but never worked outside the home would have a very difficult time coping financially without an established career or retirement options. As such, alimony could be considered both warranted and well-deserved.

You may be asking yourself why legislation in Florida could have an impact on laws here in the state of Arizona, and with good reason. But consider this: Not long ago, lawmakers in Massachusetts placed new limits on their state's alimony statutes. And now legislators in New Jersey are considering changes as well.

The new bill proposed in Florida is one part of a national movement to pull away from traditional alimony payments. As such, residents of Arizona could very well find themselves facing similar changes in the future -- changes that might make education about the legalities of alimony an invaluable resource, especially in the event of divorce.

Source: Sun Sentinel, "Permanent alimony would become thing of past," Donna Gehrke-White, Dec. 7, 2011