Determining the terms of a divorce settlement is rarely a simple task. Couples wrangle over how much child support or alimony they deserve. One New Jersey man has made it his goal to change the way alimony payments are determined, when they are included in a divorce settlement. The man contends that his lifetime obligation to pay alimony is unfair due to his wife's high salary.

The New Jersey activist formed a group that intends to lobby to "eliminate permanent or lifetime alimony and restrict the wide discretion judges have in setting alimony payments." They indicate that the Massachusetts legislature changed their alimony laws in a similar way last year. Sean Kean, New Jersey Assemblyman, has worked with this organization to form a committee to investigate the effect of current alimony laws.

Others do not see current statutes regarding alimony to be antiquated or requiring any updating. One opponent of the suggested reform believes it would harm spouses that are dependent on receiving alimony as part of a divorce. In fact, they argue that current laws allow judges to consider a variety of factors to determine what kind of payments, how much should be paid and to whom the payments should be made in each unique divorce case.

Regardless of which side emerges victorious in this newly ignited debate over alimony in New Jersey, the bottom line is that an agreement should be reached that is just for both parties involved in the divorce. However, that point of agreement may always be difficult to determine when both individuals have competing demands.

Source: The Star-Ledger, "N.J. activists work to introduce bill eliminating lifetime alimony payments," Jan. 12, 2012