Saturday, March 11, 2006
SOUTH CAROLINA SENATE RESOLVES ADULTERY DEBATE
The Associated Press reports that a bill to reform the family court system received key approval Wednesday after senators resolved a long debate on how to handle adultery in divorce cases. Under current law, a spouse that commits adultery during the period of at least a year between the signing of separation and divorce papers is barred from alimony. But, the new bill, as amended during debate, would allow judges to award alimony if the adultery occurs at least one year after the legal separation and did not contribute to the marriage's breakup.
Maybe the old law was "unfair" in some tortured sense of the word. But, given the fact that there are so many areas in Family Court that are crying out for reform, it is a crying shame that this is the best that the Senators can do. People are still being jailed for contempt who have done nothing wrong, child support collection in South Carolina still lags behind, and people are still having to pay child support for children that are not their biological children because they have no standing to "disprove" paternity. But, now the world will be a safer place for adulterers who can go about their business without fear of economic repercussions.
The Associated Press reports that a bill to reform the family court system received key approval Wednesday after senators resolved a long debate on how to handle adultery in divorce cases. Under current law, a spouse that commits adultery during the period of at least a year between the signing of separation and divorce papers is barred from alimony. But, the new bill, as amended during debate, would allow judges to award alimony if the adultery occurs at least one year after the legal separation and did not contribute to the marriage's breakup.
Maybe the old law was "unfair" in some tortured sense of the word. But, given the fact that there are so many areas in Family Court that are crying out for reform, it is a crying shame that this is the best that the Senators can do. People are still being jailed for contempt who have done nothing wrong, child support collection in South Carolina still lags behind, and people are still having to pay child support for children that are not their biological children because they have no standing to "disprove" paternity. But, now the world will be a safer place for adulterers who can go about their business without fear of economic repercussions.
