Welcome to new and old members alike! Our organization's focus is on REFORMING CURRENT ALIMONY LAWS IN FLORIDA with an eye on future family law issues.
What are our beliefs?
Most of us would agree with the principles of the 10 commandments: Don't kill, don't steal, don't commit adultery, don't be dishonest, etc. We also agree that we should reward good behavior; however, we often not only do not reward it, but offer no consequences for bad behavior. This is at the heart of what is wrong with alimony law in the state of Florida.
One of the key elements that elevates a society is diversified financial growth. With more products and services comes more income, which buys more houses, pays for products, food, transportation, medical/dental care, etc. Almost all the money earned keeps our society moving forward.
When we penalize citizens for the sole reason that they are financially successful, it sends the wrong message to our society. That's exactly what Florida's alimony laws do. It's called THE ABILITY TO PAY, where an alimony judgement penalizes the person who has more money and, conversely, rewards the spouse who has chosen not to work. This creates a "need" for the nonworking party which all too often never goes away.
How did this reversal of principles happen?
Fighting for the "underdog" has become quite profitable. Many family law attorneys see the income opportunities when a family faces divorce, involving a plethora of expenses that must be paid by the spouse earning the income. There is no incentive to limit litigation, so many divorces are extremely profitable for family law attorneys, who even take classes in how to penetrate the income producer's finances. It's all about the money.
As our society has changed, with women becoming more equal to men, many other social changes have happened. Colleges are now graduating more women than men. Women have become more qualified and therefore more frequent in the workforce, many men are now stay at home dads while the woman is the major income producer. Opportunities for women even into their 60+ are greater than ever. And along with all these advances comes the down-side; there are more men receiving permanent alimony than ever before. Why? Because the laws allow them to. It's interesting how many people are against a woman paying permanent alimony but still feel it's a man's obligation. That's not equality!
Equality is good for our society. Salaries should be based on job descriptions not on the sex of the worker. Likewise, promotions should be based on accomplishments and work ethics and not based on gender. Which spouse stays home to raise the children is based on each individual family, and in some homes a role reversal happens. The children are brought up without prejudice to the value of women. That's a good thing.A contradiction in what makes society advance is quite apparent in Florida's family courts. We cannot afford to teach the lesson to the next generation that with a good education and hard work, financial success is possible,but will be penalized should you ever divorce. FL is a "no-fault" state. Even when the income producer may not even want the divorce, he or she may end up permanently supporting the ex-spouse for the rest of his/her life. Many people are now avoiding marriage for exactly these reasons.
Even worse is the unfortunate example set by too many parents, who are teaching their children how to manipulate the legal system in order to avoid going to work.
So what principles would be best for our country to follow if we want to grow? How about rewarding the efforts of those earning a living, and helping those who don't by providing training and incentive that will encourage and allow them to stand on their own?
Let's return to some basic logic if we want our society to grow.
FEDERAL MOVEMENTS FOR FAMILY LAW REFORM
The battle for more equitable and predictable family laws is taking place not only in Florida, but all around the country. Although family law is a state issue, there are federal avenues in which updating all family laws in all states would be mandatory. Similar to when the Supreme Court declared same sex marriage as legal.
FLR will continue to focus on the state battles. We believe we can get quicker results for Florida's citizens, but also believe in the long haul.
Here are two Federal Cases that need your stories and need you to sign petitions.
First, a Family Court Reform and Parental Rights Petition.There are over 4,000 letters of support already sent, but it's the sheer volume of responses that get their attention. Please read, follow the instructions, then forward it through your social media.
Second, while we do not in any way endorse this approach, one of our members has filed a RICO lawsuit with the United States Department of Justice with the hope of federal intervention to State law. Larry Rutan's RICO lawsuit, click here to view, claims elections make it a payoff for judges followed by biased decisions. Larry is asking that you please send your letters of support to the Administrative Case Handler e mail address:
Joyce.Fisher@usdoj.gov Send an email in support and ask the DOH to investigate "Larry Rutan's RICO complaint." Larry also has a video explaining the "system" of the Family Courts. Click Here to view his video.
The Family Law Reform Battle will be fought on many fronts. It's important that we maintain our professionalism, regardless of what the opposition does. We have Principles on our side. One of these approaches is going to begin a landslide that may take ten years, but it's a lot shorter than lifetime!
Alan's Message:
Is it me, or has it has been a really hot, long summer? The heat seems to make everything slow down. But we mustn't allow that to happen to our efforts for Alimony Reform. During this off session time we have focused on creating and setting up the membership website. That is basically all done now. We know that there may be a few glitches along the way, what with technology and human error. That's ok. No one is perfect. We will figure out whatever we have to and continue to move forward. Please be patient, like most worthwhile things, we are figuring this out as we go.
Currently, our time is being spent developing our strategies for the 2016 legislative session. Because the House of Representatives left 3 days early in our last session, our Bill didn't get a chance to be finalized to go our Governor's desk for signing. I do not believe that kind of behavior from our legislative leadership will happen again, so I have every expectation of getting our bill passed in both the House and Senate this upcoming session. I have also requested a meeting with Senator Lee so that we can discuss the issue of time sharing and whether it will be something that is of concern to our bill this upcoming session. We then have to figure out exactly who will be able to sponsor our bill as well. I'm hoping that our previous Sponsors will, once again, agree to sponsor our bill since they are so familiar with the issues at hand.
Our Legislative leaders have a tremendous amount to deal with this upcoming session. Besides the redistricting that recently was ordered upon them, there are many other political, social, and environmental issues that they need to address this upcoming session. That is why it is so important to work closely with our lobbyist and our legislators so that we can make certain that our bill is not only positioned to be heard, but addressed and ultimately voted upon.
There are always lots of moving parts in these things, but I'm positioned to deal with all of them from experience I've had over these last few years. Let's continue this journey together, and together we will change our lives and the lives of our children.
As always, I will update you on events as they occur. But like a good chess game, having the best strategy enables a winner to emerge.
Alan
Alan Frisher, FLR Pres
SPREAD THE MESSAGE
The only way we are going to educate our society about the reverse reward system the family laws have established is by you spreading the word. It's right at your fingertips. All you have to do is click on the link below and send it to your friends. When you send that alimony check or see the deduction from your check, and you know your ex-spouse is very capable of employment or financially supporting themselves, what emotion does it elicit? Use that emotion.
Either learn to like the pain, or take the first step by forwarding this newsletter to people you love. Family Law Reform is an issue that affects our entire society. The issue is not male or female, young or old, black, white or other, Republican or Democrat. It's about Families. And the quicker and less traumatic we, as a society, can help a failed marriage move on with a new start, the quicker it will help the families wounds of families divorce heal. It's better for our families and better for our society.
If you believe in Principles and want to get back to them, then forward this newsletter to your friends and family.
If you are a member, log in to FamilyLawReformUSA.com and see what's new. If you're not a member, here's how you join and why.
Before you click on the link to join, please understand what we are doing.
To lead the charge against one of the most heavily funded professions is like David and Goliath. The expenses involved can become quite large. By having a low monthly membership fee, we are able to fund the expenses needed with lobbyists, press releases, consultations, campaign contributions, and more. We want Individuals in our membership who are tired of the inequitable consequences of Florida's current alimony and other family laws. We want people who will get involved and help spread the movement.
If that's you, then Click Here to join. Welcome Aboard.
It's your involvement that will make meaningful alimony reform a reality in Florida soon! Help us help you! Please consider a donation to the organization as we work to fix these broken outdated laws! Just click here to be taken to our website. There's a "Donation Link" on the bottom right side of the page.
Thank you for anything that you can do!
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