Opinion ID: 1826223
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: PROPERTY DIVISION v. ALIMONY

Text: The majority opinion indicates that alimony is a substitute for division of property. Sad experience indicates to me that it is not. Alimony (unless specifically ordered otherwise) ends when either party dies, or the wife remarries. In other words, the wife loses her share of the accumulation during the marriage if she remarries, and her heirs lose it when she dies. This is scarcely just. Furthermore, much alimony ordered to be paid never is paid, and less and less is paid as the years roll by. Earnings drop and people move away or hide, and collecting alimony across State lines is even more frustrating than intrastate. The Uniform Marriage and Divorce Act, which is the product of the most thorough examination of the actualities of divorce law in recent years, takes the view that property division, to the extent possible, should be the primary means of providing for the future financial needs of the spouses. 9 Uniform Laws Annot., Master Ed., p. 457. By making appropriate divisions of property, courts can be sure that each party gets his or her share of the marital property. If alimony is awarded, there is no certainty that it will be paid.