The Alimony Reform Movement

The good news just keeps on coming. The media continue to be interested in the story of the 2nd wives AND of alimony problems in Massachusetts in general. On June 26, WGBH's "Greater Boston" with Emily Rooney featured the story of Deb Scanlan, and had a panel with attorney Tim Taylor and journalist Elizabeth Benedict, discussing what Ms. Rooney called the state's "very very strict .... a bit draconian" alimony laws. Many websites and blogs picked up news of the show, including attorney Steven Ballard's divorce blog, http://massachusettsfamilylaw.blogspot.com/2008/06/alimony-reform-discussed-on-emily.html. Attorney Gerald Nissenbaum also appeared, largely in defense of the current law, with an exception for lifetime alimony for short-term marriages.

Two days later, on Saturday June 28, popular radio host Michele McPhee (96.9FM) did a short piece about Elizabeth Benedict's op-ed in the Globe (June 13), and interviewed Ms. Benedict on women who read the op-ed and canceled their weddings to divorced men within hours.

This coming week there should be a major radio interview on the subject of the 2nd wives and alimony reform. As soon as we are certain it's on, we will post a notice here.

In the meantime, Steve at Mass Alimony Reform continues to get phone calls and emails from throughout the state and the country from people who are suffering from Massachusetts alimony orders that they cannot afford to pay. Some are senior citizens, retired, and in poor health, yet they do not have the means to get these orders changed. Others are from accomplished professionals in Boston's workforce who have been forced to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in divorce courts because of lifetime alimony and who fear getting remarried because of the 2nd wives' issues.

In all of this press attention, there have been few voices of support for these current laws, except from divorce lawyers. Many divorce lawyers know how out of date and destructive these laws are, but many are not willing to say so publicly. Others have too much invested in the current system. Still others hope that the laws change to reflect the realities of life today instead of life in 1950.

But it will be the citizens of the state who must pressure the legislators and the governor to reform these laws.

Mass Alimony Reform and The 2nd Wives Club are at the forefront of the movement to bring these "archaic" and "draconian" laws into the 21st century.

Please help by contacting your representatives in the State House and by making a donation through PayPal to Mass Alimony Reform.