Opinion ID: 2232799
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The 1980-1984 Amendments

Text: Beginning in 1980, the Legislature sought to shift the onus to the obligated spouse to seek prospective relief from support requirements prior to default and eliminate judicial discretion to enter judgment for less than the full amount of arrears ( see , Mem in Support, Bill Jacket, L 1980, ch 645). Thus, in 1980 and 1981, Domestic Relations Law § 244 and Family Court Act § 460 (1) were both amended to make entry of a money judgment for the full amount of child or spouse support arrears mandatory, with one limited exception: where the defaulting party shows good cause for failure to make application for relief from the judgment or order directing such payment prior to the accrual of such arrears ( see , L 1980, ch 645, §§ 1, 5; see also , L 1980, ch 241, § 2; L 1981, ch 695, § 4). [1] Domestic Relations Law § 236 (B) (9) (b) was likewise amended to preclude reduction or annulment of any such arrears unless the defaulting spouse could establish good cause for having failed to seek prospective relief from the support judgment or order before the arrears accrued ( see , L 1980, ch 645, § 3; L 1981, ch 695, § 2). [2] In 1984, an identical amendment was made to Family Court Act § 451 to eliminate any disparity among the statutory standards for retroactive reduction ( see , L 1984, ch 631, § 1; Mem in Support, Bill Jacket, L 1984, ch 631). [3] Family Court Act § 458, separately addressing cancellation of arrears, was repealed in 1983 ( see , L 1983, ch 746, § 4). Under these amendments, any modification of arrears that had been reduced to a final judgment was still prohibited ( see , Domestic Relations Law § 236 [B] [9] [former (b)] [as amended by L 1981, ch 695, § 2]; Family Ct Act § 460 [former (3)] [as amended by L 1983, ch 746, § 6]). Modification was otherwise permissible only if the defaulting spouse could establish good cause for having failed to request downward modification of support obligations prior to the accumulation of arrears. The amended enforcement scheme thereby assured the recipient spouse the remedy of judgment for the full amount of arrears, while the obligated spouse retained the right to commence proceedings and prove change in circumstances to justify prospective reduction of support payments (Mem in Support, Bill Jacket, L 1980, ch 645).