HB2851--MAINTENANCEORDERS
SPONSOR: Sharpe(4)
Thisbillcreatesthreecategoriesofspousalmaintenanceorders
thatmaybeawardedbyacourtincertainproceedings:
(1)"Bridge"maintenanceordersmaybeawardedtoapartytoa
short-termmarriage,definedashavingadurationoflessthan
sevenyears,toprovidesupportforlegitimateshort-termneedsfor
nomorethantwoyears.Suchawardswillnotbemodifiablein
durationoramount.
(2)"Rehabilitative" maintenanceordersmaybeawardedtoassista
partytoashort-termmarriageoramoderate-termmarriage,defined
ashavingadurationofseventolessthan17years.Suchawards
aredesignedtofacilitateself-supportthroughtheredevelopment
ofpreviousskillsorcredentialsortheacquisitionofeducation,
training,orworkexperienceandthedevelopmentandimplementation
ofacareerplanandgoals.Thereshallbeaspecificanddefined
rehabilitative planpriortoawardingarehabilitative maintenance
orderandsuchorderwillnotexceedfouryearsinduration.
Rehabilitative maintenanceordersmaybeterminatedupona
substantialchangeincircumstances, uponnoncompliancewiththe
rehabilitative plan,oruponcompletionoftheplan.
(3)"Durational"maintenanceordersmaybeawardedtoprovidefor
theneedsandnecessitiesofapartyasestablishedduringa
moderate-termorlong-termmarriage,definedashavingaduration
of17ormoreyears.Adurationalmaintenanceorderwillnot
remainineffectformorethan:
(a)Fiveyears,ifthemarriagelastedseventolessthan10
years;
(b)Sevenyears,ifthemarriagelasted10tolessthan17years;
and
(c)Tenyears,ifthemarriagelasted17ormoreyears.
Durationalmaintenanceordersmaybemodifiedasspecifiedinthe
bill.
Inestablishingthetermofdurationalmaintenance,andforthe
purposesofmaintenancemodificationsdecidedonorafterAugust
28,2024,thecourtmustconsiderallrelevantfactorsincluding
butnotlimitedto:
(1)Theabilityofthespousepayingmaintenancetoretire; (2)Whetherthecourtorthepartiesconsideredtheretirementof
thespousepayingmaintenanceinpreviousagreementsormaintenance
awards;
(3)Accesstohealthcarebybothspouses;and
(4)Thedurationandamountofmaintenancealreadypaid.
Acourtmayexceedthedurationallimitsspecifiedinthisbillin
awardingormodifyingrehabilitative ordurationalmaintenanceonly
ifthecourtspecificallyfinds,afterconsiderationofall
relevantfactors,thatthedurationallimitsarenotinthe
interestsoffairnessforthepartyseekingmaintenanceor
modificationofanexistingmaintenanceorder.Thecourtmust
enterwrittenfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflawsettingforth
thegroundsforexceedingthedurationallimits.Maintenance
ordersmaybesubjecttomodificationorterminationifitcanbe
shownthattherecipientandanotherpersonhaveenteredintoa
mutuallysupportiverelationshipthatisthefunctionalequivalent
ofmarriagethathaslastedforatleast12monthsinan18-month
period.
ThisbillisthesameasHB1942(2024)andsimilartoHB1566
(2022).