CT LAW TRIBUNE REPORTS NEW ALIMONY RULING CAUSING LOTS OF BUZZ!

The Connecticut Law Tribune reports as follows:

Is alimony a punishment for a divorcing spouse withdrawing the income stream from a marriage?

 

Is it a mechanism to allow the recipient to live in "the style to which she (or he) has become accustomed"?

 

Or is it a short-term jump start of funding to help the recipient train for employment and self-sufficiency?

 

According to top matrimonial lawyers, decades of Connecticut case law gives no clear guidance, and recently, the picture grew more cloudy.

 

A December decision by the Connecticut Supreme Court, Dan v. Dan, held that a sharp increase in income of one ex-spouse, by itself, is not grounds for modifying alimony payments to the other divorced party. That decision has, the experts say, made it more important than ever for lawyers and trial courts to spell out the purpose of alimony payments in the settlement or trial decision, or risk a difficult modification battle later..."

Read more: http://www.ctlawtribune.com/id=1202717427992/Family-Bar-Buzzing-Over-Alimony-Ruling#ixzz3S1D9XuZC

INTRODUCED BY SEN. JOHN KISSEL, PROPOSED BILL NO. 676, TASK FORCE ON ALIMONY REFORM!

General Assembly   Proposed Bill No. 676   January Session, 2015   LCO No. 1752   *01752* Referred to Committee on JUDICIARY
Introduced by:
SEN. KISSEL, 7th Dist.

AN ACT CONCERNING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A TASK FORCE TO STUDY ALIMONY REFORM.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

That a task force be established to study reforms relating to the award of alimony in the state.

Statement of Purpose:
To establish a task force that shall study the process and practice of awarding alimony in the state.

FOUR MEN SUE THE GOVERNOR OF CONNECTICUT STATING THAT ALIMONY IS UNCONSTITUIONAL!

For more information on this, please click the link below:

http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/11/15/62923.htm

LAWSUIT ATTACKS ALIMONY LAWS!

This is from the CT Law Tribune: 

"Four plaintiffs have filed a complaint challenging the constitutionality of Connecticut's alimony laws on the grounds that they affect a "fundamental liberty interest in ending a marriage and in remarrying."

The plaintiffs, who filed their complaint anonymously and who were ordered to pay alimony as a result of their respective divorces in Middlesex, Hartford, Fairfield and Middletown counties, argue there are no standards to guide judges when granting alimony. The lawsuit claims alimony is an anachronism dating from when women's legal identities merged into their husbands' identities upon marriage."

For more information, click on the link below:

http://www.ctlawtribune.com/PubArticleCT.jsp?id=1202627142771&kw=Lawsuit%20Challenges%20Connecticut%20Alimony%20Laws&et=editorial&bu=Connecticut%20Law%20Tribune&cn=20131111&src=EMC-Email&pt=Connecticut%20Law%20Tribune%20Daily%20Briefing#ixzz2kMbie8hc

For what it is worth, here is one woman's response to this lawsuit.  See below:

I was a wife ordered to pay attorney fees. My former husband, who earned 85 percent of the household income, did not pay any of my fees.

Also, marriage is a legal contract. Those whining men aren't thinking about the ability their former wives gave them to facilitate their earning potentials while they provided emotional support, cared for the home and children, hosted events, gone to events to convey their husbands' appearance of model citizenship and that he conforms to cultural and societal expectations. Perhaps during that time, these wives put off their own professional and educational goals to facilitate the husbands' careers? Is this devalued as soon as the spousal relationship is over. I know a man who is a stay at home dad and does the above mentioned roles. No way could his wife have ever attained her status without his emotional, financial and later raising if the children and maintaining a home. As my crooked family law attorney no less crooked than all in it said to me when all the assets I had before marriage disappeared during it to support my former husbands educational and professional roles as well as kept him out if jail for back alimony and child support from the marriage prior to mine, "You can't redo your financial decisions you made in marriage." Whiners: this is what a pre-nup is for!

EARLIER ALIMONY REFORM BILL STOPPED IN MARCH 2013; NEW ALIMONY REFORM BILL PASSED IN JUNE! WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE RESULTS!

The Organization, "Connecticut Alimony Reform" was recently involved in passing a new alimony reform bill on June 25, 2013, which replaces another bill that was proposed and turned down in March 2013.  The contents of this new bill are available at the following link:

 

http://ctalimonyreform.com/content/bill-no-6688-public-act-no-13-213

 

I would be interested in knowing how folks respond to this bill.

 

Also, as an update on the Connecticut Alimony Reform group, they have recently combined with the National Parents Organization.  See their remarks on this new relationship below:

 

"We have formed a relationship with National Parents Organization to work on all aspects of family law reform. National Parents Organization is the national voice for family law reform.  National Parents Organization, a nonprofit, 501(c)(3), organization, is reforming the family courts to ensure equal treatment for fathers and mothers which, in turn, further guarantees the well-being of their children; to make shared parenting after separation or divorce the norm; and to ensure that finances after separation or divorce are distributed equitably."