Spouses in Connecticut who are contemplating getting a divorce might be interested to hear that alimony might not be the way it was once. Traditionally, when a court ordered a spouse to pay alimony to his or her ex, it was for the rest of his or her life. However, nowadays, many people are beginning to question whether or not that view is fair or not. In fact, many states are now beginning to consider reforming their laws to make it so that a spouse does not necessarily have to pay alimony for the rest of his or her life.
Now, instead of spouses having to pay alimony for life, many states are considering reforming laws so that special formulas would be used to determine how much alimony a spouse has to pay and for how long. Some states, like Massachusetts, have already implemented new alimony reform laws. Florida attempted to implement a reform law, but the governor vetoed it. New Jersey is talking about changing its laws, and New York is actively seeking to change its laws.
People who support reforming alimony state that it’s not fair for spouses to have to pay their exes for the rest of their lives. However, people who don’t support reforming alimony say that it’s unfair to spouses who gave up their opportunities to pursue their careers to stay at home and care for children and the home.
Family law attorneys might be able to help divorcing couples negotiate issues such as alimony, division of property and child custody. Attorneys might be able to help people come to divorce settlements that they can agree to without a long, drawn-out court battle. However, if the couple does have to go before divorce court, an attorney might be able to sway the court to his or her client’s side.
Source: MainStreet.com, “Is This the End of Alimony?“, Cheryl Lock, July 01, 2013
