The 'Alimony Amendment,' it’s a law designed to take the financial burden off of a person dealing with a divorce because of certain factors, like cheating. And, it’s being drafted right here in Utah.
A spouse scorned, by the love of their life, has been the theme of movies, television shows, and in the YouTube age, we watch the drama unfold on our computer screens. Even here in Utah, we met some people who have been betrayed.
"You just lose control I even spit on him and everything,” said Evelyn Puendia.
"Definitely got some revenge tp'd their house and a few other things I shouldn't say now, but I wasn't very happy so revenge was my first response," said Cindy Childs.
In our state, these scorned lovers would still have to pay up after their marriage ends. But Representative Fred Cox feels that's not fair. So he created the alimony amendments bill. It would allow judges to put a stop to alimony in divorce cases where there was an extramarital affair, abuse, or activity that would undermine the family's financial stability.
"I mean if alimony is needed and it's going to benefit the child in the end, I’ll support the decision of the judge to benefit the child," said Utah resident Preston Pratt.
Cindy Childs thought it might be a good idea.
"it's definitely a way for spouses to kind of make it fair because if you're going to mess up your marriage or your relationship, then they shouldn't be able to get alimony for it," she said.
There's actually already an alimony law in Utah, but "fault" has never been defined, so judges can't use it. Representative Cox has now made a clear definition of fault, and he says it's getting some backing.
That bill passed an interim judiciary committee Wednesday. That means it could be in front of the legislature first thing in January. We'll keep you posted.
