Bar Association Wades Into Divorce Law Spat
Posted By L. Anthony Bompiani, Esquire on Sep 26, 2009 7:26am PDT
The Boston Bar Association drew heavy criticism this week after throwing its support behind one of two dueling alimony reform bills currently up for debate in the state Legislature.
The current law — which does not allow judges to cap the duration of an alimony award, enabling post-divorce payments that last a lifetime — has drawn fierce criticism for decades. Opponents of the legislation say countless alimony payers have been forced to shell out high percentages of their annual earnings to support ex-spouses who don’t want to work. Alimony payers say they’ve been forced into bankruptcy, or even jail, because of the rigid legislation.
Pennsylvania's alimony laws, although not very clear, are much less rigid. All aspects of the marriage and divorce are taken into account including length of marriage, age of the parties, income, and earning potential of the parties. Lifetime alimony is only awarded in the most obvious of situations.
For more information regarding divorce and alimony in Pennsylvania, contact L. Anthony Bompiani at (724) 925-9600.