Recently the Wall Street Journal posted an article by Jennifer Levitz titled: The New Art Of Alimony. The article on alimony and divorce examines several cases of alimony which, although seemingly extreme, are also indicative of the slippery reasoning and changing situations that create situations in which one ex-partner is expected to pay the other ex-spouse an indeterminate amount for an indeterminate amount of time seemingly without regard to the recipient's ability to pay their own way and even regardless of the payor and recipient's future financial situations.
The article brings up the question of the underlying purpose of alimony, spousal support or maintenance, whether it is still a worthwhile form of compensation in a day when the sexes, now more equally represented in higher education and the workplace , and therefore earning potential are truly equal in the eyes of the court, and whether any of the variety of state solutions to the fairness or unfairness of these payments are working.




