NPO: Are the Connecticut Alimony Laws Constitutional?

Article here:

'That is the issue raised by four plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging Connecticut alimony laws. In a suit entitled John Doe et al vs. Dannel P. Malloy filed in the United States District court for the district of Connecticut, the plaintiffs seek a Declaratory Judgment that the alimony laws violate the due process requirements of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and further seek an injunction against the enforcement of the laws.

As the lawsuit points out, nowhere in the statute is the purpose of alimony set forth. Without a purpose the application of the alimony laws becomes unpredictable, both in amount and length of the award, bordering on arbitrary and capricious.

The 38-page complaint recites the various historical and statutory basis for alimony. It points out that in today’s equality based society, the award of alimony may be a historical anachronism, dating back to a time when women were excluded from the workplace, and generally expected to be stay-at-home mothers.'