Defining the Terms of MA Alimony Reforms
Posted By Taylor Lawrence on Dec 31, 2011 8:00am PST
When diving into something as serious as an
alimony agreement it is essential to sift through the lawful jargon and understand the terms of the agreement. Do not overlook these definitions outlined at the beginning of the most relevant document in
alimony modification today, The
Alimony Reform Act of 2011:
a.) "Alimony" is the payment of support from one spouse to another for a reasonable length of time, pursuant to a court order and for the purpose of providing a spouse in need of support periodic payments from a spouse who has the ability to pay it.
(b) "General Term Alimony" is the periodic payment of support to a recipient spouse who is economically dependent.
(c) "Duration of Marriage" is the number of months from the date of legal marriage to the date of service of a complaint or petition for divorce or separate support duly filed in a court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or another court with jurisdiction to terminate the marriage.