A New Jersey man is seeking to put a stop to alimony payments to his ex-wife because she is now in a relationship with another man – even though the couple is not actually living together.
Under NJ divorce law, alimony typically ends as soon as an ex-spouse remarries or “cohabitates” with another person. However, the law on cohabitation has been so unclear that NJ lawmakers had to pass the Alimony Reform Act in 2014, a law that specifies that cohabitation is not limited to couples who live together.
William Kloehn was married to Yvonne Kloehn for 22 years. When they got divorced in 2007, Kloehn was ordered to pay $25,000 per month in alimony and $12,500 per month in child support. After Kloehn lost his job at Citigroup in 2009, the alimony requirements were reduced to $10,000 per month.
Now Kloehn has petitioned a New Jersey family court to end his alimony requirements because Yvonne is allegedly engaged in “clandestine cohabitation” with her boyfriend.
Kloehn is also asking the court to order his ex-spouse to refund more than $100K in alimony that she already received because, he argues, the alimony payments should have ceased in 2014 when he initially filed a motion to stop his alimony requirements.
The ruling in this case could have significant implications for divorce and alimony laws in New Jersey. For example, a ruling in favor of Kloehn could potentially change the way NJ courts interpret “cohabitation” in the future. According to Yvonne’s attorney, this would potentially make divorced spouses reluctant to form any kind of post-divorce relationships because they would risk losing alimony support they need.
For additional information, read the NJ Observer Tribune article, “Mendham Township Man Wants End to Alimony Because Ex Has Boyfriend.”
If you are thinking about filing for divorce, have already started the divorce process, or are dealing with the financial consequences of a completed divorce, a qualified family law attorney can assist you. The successful family law and divorce lawyers at Graziano & Flynn, P.C. have decades of experience helping people to navigate divorce courts in New Jersey. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation about your case.
