BOSTON - Following a unanimous vote of the Boston Bar Association governing
body, the 32 member Council, the BBA endorsed the alimony reform recommendations
set forth in a report
produced by a joint task force of the BBA and the Massachusetts Bar
Association.
The recommendations would not apply in cases where the parties have dependent
children, or in cases where, but for alimony, the recipient of alimony would
become a public charge. Nor would the recommendations apply when the
recipient of alimony has a mental or physical disability, is of an advanced age,
or for compelling and related reasons lacks the ability to exercise marketable
skills including those reasons related to abusive conduct of the payor spouse
during the marriage.
The report endorsed by the BBA recommends four classifications of alimony or
spousal support, and seven deviation factors.
Co-chaired by David Lee of Lee & Levine, representing the BBA and Denise
Squillante of Denise Squillante, P.C. representing the MBA, the joint task force
also included Rachel Biscardi (WBA), Patience W. Crozier (MLGBA), Gene
Dahmen (BBA), David Eppley (BBA), Veronica J. Fenton (MBA), Linda S. Fidnick
(MBA), Honorable Robert W. Langlois, and Honorable Robert A.
Scandurra.