Stephens & Stevens Marital & Family Law

Click here to read previous article on major changes to alimony and child support effective October 2010 and January 2011.

Florida’s legislation passed more legislative changes that modify chapters 61 and 88 Florida Statutes effective July 1, 2011.

1) Florida HB 1111 (2011). Click here to read full text.

Adds definitions to section 88.1011 for convention, foreign country, foreign support order, foreign tribunal, outside this state, person, and record.
Modifies jurisdictional provisions in section 88.2051.

Makes many other updates / changes to Chapter 88 (see text of bill for all changes).

Changes section 88.2061 from enforcement and modification of support order to just enforcement.

Changes 88.2071 from “recognition” to “determination” of controlling support order to determination.

Creates 88.6161 register or modify foreign child support order.

Re-designates part VII of chapter 88 to ”Support Proceeding under Convention”.

Creates 88.7031 which creates relationship between Department of Revenue was recognized agency of United States Central Authority and authorized DOR to initiate certain proceedings.

Creates section 88.7051 which allows petitioner right to direct request establishment or modification of support order, direct request recognition and enforcement of convention support order or support agreement.

Creates 88.7061: registration of convention and support orders.

Creates 88.7071: contest registered convention support order.

Creates 88.7091: recognition and enforcement of convention support order.

Creates 88.7101: foreign support agreement.

Creates 88.7111: modification of convention child support order.

Creates 88.7121: personal information; limit on use.

Creates 88.7131: record in original language, English translation.

Changes cross references in section 61.13, 61.08 to new and modified chapter 88 references.

2) Florida HB 621 (2011) . Click here to read full text.

Amends section 61.13002 to specify a parent’s activation, deployment, or temporary assignment to military service and the resultant temporary disruption to the child may not be the sole factor in a court’s decision to grant a petition for modification of permanent time-sharing and parental responsibility.