How Do Florida Courts Define “Normal Retirement Age” in Alimony Cases?

If you are attempting to terminate alimony in Orlando due to retirement, a judge will examine the Social Security Administration (SSA) standard retirement age or the “customary” retirement age for your specific profession. While the SSA standard retirement age is set at 67, the customary retirement age may vary wildly. Whether you stand to receive or pay alimony, an Orlando alimony attorney can help you pursue positive outcomes.

Why Waiting Until Age 67 May Not Be Necessary

According to a recent Gallup survey, the average American worker retires at the age of 62, not 67. The SSA standard retirement age of 67 is not a “normal” retirement age, although many assume that this number represents some kind of average across American workers.

Why do Americans tend to retire earlier than 67? While some may discover that they have more savings than expected once they reach their early 60s,  most of these early retirees are forced to halt work due to all kinds of pressures. These might include caregiving responsibilities, declining health, or the sudden obsolescence/outsourcing of their career paths.

Unfortunately, Florida law requires judges to consider the SSA standard and not the reality of national averages. The SSA and Congress did not choose the age of 67 arbitrarily, although it has nothing to do with maintaining a worker’s health or respecting their right to enjoy their twilight years.

Instead, the SSA standard is based on the economic realities of funding retirement trust funds. Originally, the SSA standard retirement age was 65, but the government was forced to add two more years when funds started to run out. Many economic realists project that Congress will be forced to increase the retirement age to 69 in the not-too-distant future.

How to Determine Your Customary Retirement Age

Because the SSA standard retirement age is so much higher than the national average, it makes sense to focus instead on your “customary retirement age” when attempting to terminate alimony. This is the age at which the majority of professionals in your specific job role retire.

In numerous fields, professionals retire much earlier than either the national average or the SSA standard. These include high-impact, physically demanding career paths like manual labor, firefighting, law enforcement, professional sports, and military service. Some professionals are forced to retire early due to legal mandates, such as airline pilots.

Highlight Health Issues if Possible

Of course, many career paths have late average retirement ages. For example, certain office workers tend to work into their 70s or even 80s. If you work in one of these fields, you should consider highlighting your medical issues when attempting to terminate your alimony payments. A retirement age earlier than customary in your field may still be justified if your health issues prevent you from working.

Can an Orlando Alimony Lawyer Help Me? 

Accurate calculations of retirement ages may be more important than you realize during alimony cases in Orlando. Work with an experienced family law attorney, and you may be able to retire many years earlier than expected and halt burdensome alimony payments. Learn more by contacting Steve Marsee, P.A. at 407-521-7171.

Source:

safemoney.com/retirement-statistics/average-retirement-age/