William and Chouteau Levine’s March 28, 2016 Opinion Piece seems to suggest support for and the value of self-adjusting support orders in family law cases. In support for their position they reference the case of Stanton-Abbott v. Stanton-Abbott, 372 Mass. 814 (1977); suggest a chilling effect on negotiated resolutions as a result of limiting the court’s authority to enter self-adjusting support orders; and speculate that courts might reject agreements reached which contain self-adjusting …
Counterpoint re: Alimony Reform and Cohabitation
Maureen McBrien’s opinion piece in Lawyers Weekly of April 30, 2012 was interesting to read as a perspective of an attorney facing a new issue in the area of family law. It is important that the changes in the Alimony Law, which went into effect March 1, 2012 be highlighted, and that dialogue ensue with respect to the provisions of the newly enacted law. Her opinion, however, specifically with respect to her subsection on “When is a modification warranted on cohabitation grounds?” seems in large …
Pitfalls of the new Massachusetts alimony law: Recomputation and alimony fixed as child support
March 1, 2012 was the effective date of the Act Reforming Alimony in the Commonwealth. The provisions are contained in Sections 48 through 55 of Chapter 208 of the General Laws of Massachusetts. Four different types of alimony are identified under the new law: General Term Alimony, which may be terminated based on durational limitations relating to the length of the marriage, suspended, terminated or reduced based on recipient’s cohabitation, and terminated when the payor reaches full …