It is 20 months since Massachusetts’ sweeping
alimony law went into effect, replacing an old system marred by inequities and
abuses, including, in some cases, alimony payments for life, even for
short-term marriages. The
new law, which went into effect March 1, 2012, was hailed as the most dramatic
reform in family law in decades and as a model nationwide, with alimony based
on need.
But the law, while a clear improvement, hasn’t
been the hoped-for panacea. Judges, lawyers, claimants, and advocates complain
that its language is unclear and confusing on key issues, leading some judges
to misinterpret the law, and others to simply ignore it.
This Boston Globe article tells the stories of two
couples who chose to spend large investments of time and money and suffer the
antagonism and stress that adversarial litigation almost always requires only
to find themselves arguing with judges over the interpretation of Massachusetts’
alimony law.
Is there an affordable way for couples to avoid such situations,
to maintain control of their divorce and to develop their own fair and lasting
solutions outside the courtroom?
Yes. One way, rather than taking a confrontational
position, is to try divorce mediation.
Read Bella
English’s article in The Boston Globe.
To learn more about divorce mediation, contact
me today at Alan@FalmouthMediation.com or
508-566-4159 for a free, no-obligation, confidential consultation.
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