It’s important to contact your legislators to express your support for alimony reform, and for Raised Bill No. 5509. Information on who your legislators are and how to contact them is available on Locate Your Connecticut Legislator on our site, in the Write Your Legislator Tab. Once you’re written an email, set up an appointment to visit to his/her office. Write/email your legislators as soon as possible to urge them to support Raised Bill. Here is how you can determine your State Senators and State Representatives name by clicking the following link. It will get you to the ct.gov site where you can enter your address. Please be sure to write and visit both your Senator and Representative. Find your legislator from your address We have provided a sample letter for you to use: Dear Rep/Sen.________: I’m writing to urge you to support much-needed alimony reform in the form of Raised Bill No. 5509. Connecticut’s alimony laws need to be updated for today’s social and economic conditions. The current laws need structure, guidelines and predictability so that divorces are easier to settle, and we cut down on stress and strife of divorce, especially in the lives of our children. In my own situation --- [here briefly describe the hardship that alimony laws have cost you and your family. Please limit your description to two paragraphs of the most salient facts: amount or percentage of alimony; cost of legal bills; difficulty in settling cases and/or modifying; job loss; retirement issues; stress for children; etc.] Bill No. 5509 provides alimony laws with the right mixture of guidelines and judicial discretion, for unusual cases. I believe it’s pro-family, pro-marriage, that it protects alimony payers and alimony recipients, and that it will reduce the emotional and financial costs of divorce. Like the new Massachusetts law on which it was based, it provides generous alimony when necessary to make the transition to independence; limits alimony when the recipient is cohabiting; allows payers a meaningful right to retire; and it removes the income and assets of new spouses in alimony modifications. I welcome the opportunity to talk to you personally about my situation and the need for reform in Connecticut, and will contact your office to set up an appointment. Thank you. Sincerely, Name Address Phone Please let us know the reaction or response you receive with an email.
