On Thursday, June 11, 2015, attorneys were treated to a program on the Alimony Reform Act by a panel of expert attorneys.  “Alimony Reform on Appeal: Learn from the Experts” was co-sponsored by Senior Partners for Justice, the Massachusetts Family and Probate American Inn of Court and the Greater Boston Family Law American Inn of Court and featured Dean Amrose, Esq., McGrath & Kane, Denise M. Fitzgerald, Esq., Massachusetts Probate and Family Court, David H. Lee, Esq., Lee & Rivers, and Maureen McBrien, Esq., Brick & Sugarman.

The Alimony Reform Act of 2011 brought sweeping changes for family-law attorneys and their divorcing clients. The law introduced new standards and terminology that all practitioners must master to achieve successful resolution of their cases.

In the last two years the Supreme Judicial Court and the Appeals Court have decided approximately thirty cases interpreting the Act. Although the quickly developing case law has brought clarity to some issues, it has raised new questions about others--such as retroactivity, the appropriate category of alimony awarded and the length of support obligations.  The program focused specifically on Chin v. Merriot, Rodman v. Rodman and Zaleski v. Zaleski.

The Library would like to thank our co-sponsors, the panel, and everyone in attendance for making this program a success.