Connecticut Alimony Reform is a grassroots organization of men and women in all professions, including attorneys, who believe that it’s time for the state to update its antiquated alimony laws for the 21st century, as both New York and Massachusetts have recently done, and as New Jersey and Florida are considering. Adapting provisions and concepts from Massachusetts’ and New York’s new laws, CTAR supports legislation that will bring consistency, predictably and fairness to both parties and their children in this highly contentious area of family law. Our goals are to protect children of divorce from unnecessary strife between their parents, and to promote laws that allow divorcing and divorced couples to settle their financial ties fairly and predictably, rather than permit them to wallow in conflict and acrimony for decades, as many are forced to do under current law. Many divorce lawyers share our views. Others prefer the vague, open-ended current laws, which create incentives for conflict, litigation, and return trips to divorce court long after the divorce. Instead of divorce ending a failed relationship, Connecticut’s open-ended laws encourage divorced couples to be entangled financially and emotionally for years, harming children, grandchildren, stepchildren, and the parties themselves. Because Connecticut alimony laws produce so much uncertainty and litigation, the courts have significant backlogs. Contentious and expensive cases therefore take many years to resolve, increasing stress and financial hardship for already stressed families.
