Court Opinion

ID: 9739154
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 20:09:42.317209+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:24:10.288984
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE STEIGMANN, specially concurring: Although I agree fully with the result and with almost everything the majority says in reaching it, I write specially because the majority opinion purports to breathe life into a doctrine of law I believe no longer valid. Specifically, the majority states that "even a spouse awarded indefinite maintenance has a good-faith obligation to work toward becoming self-sufficient.” (260 Ill. App. 3d at 833.) Further, the majority concludes the opinion by writing, “We note again that even a spouse who is entitled to permanent maintenance is required to seek reasonable employment.” (260 Ill. App. 3d at 834.) For the reasons that follow, I disagree with these statements. In support of the above statements, the majority cites Pedersen (237 Ill. App. 3d at 958, 605 N.E.2d at 634), which in turn cites In re Marriage of Martin (1992), 223 Ill. App. 3d 855, 860, 585 N.E.2d 1158, 1162. Martin states that “[t]he failure to make good-faith efforts to achieve [the goal of becoming financially independent in the future], following a reasonable time frame during which the objective should be accomplished, might form the basis for a petition for modification.” (Martin, 223 Ill. App. 3d at 860, 585 N.E.2d at 1162.) As authority, Martin cites In re Marriage of Mittra (1983), 114 Ill. App. 3d 627, 450 N.E.2d 1229, which does support the holding in Martin, but was premised upon section 504(b)(2) of the Act (and the committee comments thereto) as that section then existed. This court based its decision in Mittra upon the original intent of the Act in 1977, which was to replace maintenance with property division to the extent possible. In 1977, the legislature clearly viewed maintenance with some disfavor, and that disfavor is the source of the Mittra rule that "even a spouse awarded indefinite maintenance has a good-faith obligation to work toward becoming self-sufficient.” 260 Ill. App. 3d at 833. Sixteen years later, through its 1993 amendments to the Act, the legislature has made equally clear that it no longer views maintenance with disfavor. Effective January 1, 1993, the legislature gutted section 504 of the Act and rewrote it. (See Pub. Act 87—881, eff. January 1, 1993 (1992 Ill. Laws 1019, 1023-24).) Because this court premised Mittra so strongly upon section 504 and its committee comments (see Mittra, 114 Ill. App. 3d at 634-35, 450 N.E.2d at 1234), the rewriting of section 504 deprives Mittra — and its progeny — of continuing validity. To suggest now, as the majority does, that a spouse receiving permanent maintenance is still required to seek reasonable employment is to treat section 504 of the Act as if the legislature had never revised and rewritten it. Note specifically that the “old” section 504(b)(2)—the section before Public Act 87—881 amended it — defined the following as a relevant factor: “the time necessary to acquire sufficient education or training to enable the party seeking maintenance to find appropriate employment.” (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1991, ch. 40, par. 504(b)(2).) As a result of Public Act 87—881, section 504(b)(2) became section 504(a)(5) and now reads as follows: "the time necessary to enable the party seeking maintenance to acquire appropriate education, training, and employment, and whether that party is able to support himself or herseljf through appropriate employment or is the custodian of a child making it appropriate that the custodian not seek employment.” (Emphasis added.) (750 ILCS 5/504(a)(5) (West 1992).) I suggest that one of the changes sought by the legislature with this new language was the elimination of the Mittra doctrine that the majority today claims is still good law. Note also that the maintenance order in this case was entered on February 18, 1993, after the effective date of Public Act 87 — 881. As a result of the recent amendment to section 504, that section is now neutral regarding what the spouse receiving maintenance must do, leaving the matter to the sound judgment and discretion of the trial court. In other words, if the trial judge in this case thinks it appropriate to order respondent, the recipient of permanent maintenance, to seek reasonable employment toward the goal of becoming self-sufficient, then the judge can so order. He does not need us peering over his shoulder, telling him how he should view the issue of maintenance in a case he has spent months adjudicating.