Lisa C. Goodheart, President of the Boston Bar Association and BBA Family Law
Co-Chairs Kelly Leighton and Lee Peterson will be among the many advocates for
alimony reform as Governor Deval Patrick is expected to sign into law the
landmark Alimony Reform Act of 2011 later today.
"As lawyers, we like to facilitate predictability and consistency in legal
decisions," said Goodheart. "This legislation will provide a new blueprint for
formulating alimony rewards, where appropriate, based on specific circumstances.
Alimony reform has been a long time coming to Massachusetts, and this new law
will provide greater clarity for lawyers and judges and, more importantly,
greater fairness for divorcing and divorced parties."
The BBA has advocated zealously for alimony reform that would enable judges
to limit the duration of alimony and to amend prior judgments that had no
termination point, and joined forces with the Massachusetts Bar Association to
convene a joint task force to develop recommendations for much needed change.
With the leadership of Senator Gale Candaras and Representative John Fernandes,
these recommendations became the basis for the Alimony Reform Act of
2011.