CS/CS/HB 943 Summary

• Establishes comprehensive alimony guidelines based on marriage duration and income difference, with presumptive amount and duration ranges calculated using specific formulas (ranging from 1.5% to 2% of income difference multiplied by years of marriage).

• Creates rebuttable presumption against alimony awards for marriages of 2 years or less, requires court findings on need and ability to pay for such awards, and prohibits use of alimony guidelines for pendente lite awards.

• Implements a 55% cap on combined alimony and child support obligations as percentage of payor's net income, with requirement to adjust child support awards to stay within cap.

• Provides specific grounds for alimony modification including retirement, involuntary unemployment lasting 6 months, and supportive relationships, while prohibiting changes to alimony duration and declaring obligor's remarriage is not a substantial change in circumstances.

• Applies new alimony provisions to all initial alimony determinations and modifications pending or filed on or after October 1, 2015, with effective date of October 1, 2015.