When married couples in the Morris County area decide to divorce, in many instances alimony will be part of their settlement. Alimony is usually a sensitive subject between couples and more often than not the party who pays the monthly spousal support is not happy about it. However, there is a new law in the state of New Jersey that may help some people who have to pay alimony feel a little better.
According to reports, Governor Chris Christie has signed a new bill into law that will end lifetime alimony. According to the bill, which only applies to future cases, the length of time a person will have to pay alimony will be limited to the same length of the marriage if it lasted less than 20 years. The bill also means that in most cases spousal support will end when the payer retires from his or her job.
The bill didn’t stop there. New guidelines in the bill will also give judges the ability to make changes to alimony amounts depending on the payers changed circumstances. Although the bill doesn’t do much to help those who are already divorced and paying alimony, it does make it possible for people in that situation to have the amount they pay reduced if they retire or lose their job.
Getting divorced can be a difficult experience and alimony is just one part of the equation. If you are experiencing troubles with your alimony situation, then you might want to contact an experienced divorce lawyer.
Source: Bloomberg News, “Christie signs bill to end alimony sooner in New Jersey,” Stacie Sherman and Terrence Dopp, Sep. 11, 2014.
