Massachusetts Alimony Reform Law

A summary of the new changes that will go into effect in March 2012

Massachusetts’ new law has established a formula for calculating alimony while addressing several areas where past payees felt wronged. Among the changes that will go into effect in March of 2012 include:

- maximum amount of time alimony can be awarded based on the length of the marriage
- excluding the amount of money a payees new spouse makes
- suspending, reducing or stopping alimony if the receipted is known to have “maintained a common household with another person for a continuous period of at least three months”
- exclusion of gross income which has already been calculated for child support
- when the court orders alimony payments along with or after child support payments, the duration of the alimony and child support payments will not exceed the longer of a) the duration of the alimony set forth at the time of the divorce or b) rehabilitative alimony which begins after child support payments have stopped.
- a limit on the amount of alimony
- not calculating a second job or additional overtime for alimony modifications
- a reduction of alimony of health insurance or life insurance is also being paid for
- limiting alimony extensions and require “clear and convincing evidence” for extensions
- ending alimony if the recipient remarries

Effectively, the law places limits on alimony and eliminates lifetime alimony.
For our clients who wish to discuss alimony and agree on an amount, we will work with you to accomplish this.