The Alimony Reform Act defines income to include all income as defined by the Massachusetts Child Support Guidelines which clearly includes bonuses in the list of included income. In Zaleski v. Zaleski , the SJC remanded the issue of alimony in part because the lower court did not include bonuses in the alimony calculation. Bonus income, therefore, has to be addressed, but that does not mean it's easy to deal with. Bonuses often vary from year to year so basing a support amount on a specific number could result in an inequity to either the payor or recipient. Making adjustments periodically presents its own problems as well, requiring a detailed agreement to ensure that the self-modifying calculations are simple enough to avoid future disagreement. In addition, so-called self-modifying orders have been rejected by the SJC in Hassey v. Hassey , so this is only an option if parties are able to agree. While this is not a simple question, it doesn't mean you have to rein
Read about mediation, collaborative law, and divorce in Massachusetts, with content from Skylark Law & Mediation PC, Gray Jay Endeavors LLC, and Dispute Resolution Training Associates.
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