Alimony Reform in Minnesota

Maybe there is some hope in Minnesota. An article on the Meinerts Law Office web site states that a bi-partisan group of lawmakers in Minnesota has drafted spousal support (as alimony is called in Minnesota) reform legislation. Among the proposed reforms are:

• Eliminating any preference for permanent alimony, in some cases
• Mandatory consideration of a recipient’s prospective ability to provide self-support when setting alimony
• “Bridge-the-gap” alimony lasting no more than two years
• “Rehabilitative” alimony, but only if accompanied by a specific, identified rehabilitation plan
• “Durational” alimony limited to periods less than length of marriage
• Restrict long-term spousal support awards to marriages of 20 or more years, to marriages lasting between 7 and 19 years if justified by “clear and convincing evidence” and to marriages of less than seven years duration if necessary because of “exceptional circumstances”
• Retirement of the person paying alimony may be grounds for modifying or terminating maintenance
• Cohabitation of the person receiving alimony may be grounds for modifying or terminating maintenance
• Except in “exceptional circumstances,” no spousal maintenance award should result in the payor’s net income being less than the recipient’s

This would be a great start. I'll be writing the legislators.