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alimony reform act of 2011 - Chicago Illinois Family Law Blog

Massachusetts Looks to Cap Alimony Payments with Proposed Legislation

By Nottage and Ward on June 29, 2011

In Massachusetts, legislation has recently been proposed that would significantly change the way alimony payments are decided in the State, reports The Boston Business Journal. Additionally, if passed, it would also allow divorced parties to revisit their established alimony agreements, in certain circumstances.

Known as the Alimony Reform Act of 2011, the bill has been praised by many for giving long-anticipated guidelines regarding alimony awards in the State. Massachusetts does not currently permit judges to set a cap on its duration, which has resulted in many scenarios of working ex-spouses making lifetime alimony payments to a non-working ex-spouse who are supported by an unmarried, live-in partner. Now, the proposed legislation gives precise definitions of new, additional categories of alimony, and also describes how long payments should continue. For example, in “general term alimony,” a former spouse who is economically dependent on the other former spouse is given regular payments; in “rehabilitative alimony,” payment is made to a former spouse who is expected to eventually become financially independent.

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