Former Big-Firm Lawyer, Now Jobless, Still on the Hook for Alimony
A Massachusetts appeals court has affirmed an order requiring a former big law firm lawyer to pay his ex-wife more than $700 a week in alimony even though he is now unemployed.
The lawyer had been a former U.S. Supreme Court law clerk and went on to work as an energy lawyer at a large Washington, D.C., law firm, according to a summary of the opinion on Legal Blog Watch. At the firm, he earned an average income of $500,000 to $700,000 a year.
The lawyer was worn out from the stress and had been talking to his wife about an alternative career that would produce enough income to maintain a comfortable lifestyle. But the couple eventually separated and the lawyer abruptly quit in January 2001. He still was not employed at the time of the trial in September 2003.
A trial judge had found the lawyer had “made minimal attempts to obtain employment” and had not interviewed with any law firms. He was using his assets to cover his expenses.
The trial judge found the lawyer had the potential to make at least $200,000 a year, and the Massachusetts Appeals Court found no error. The lawyer is not identified in the June 27 opinion.
