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Washington Supreme Court hears argument on long-term spousal maintenance in Wilcox matter
Summary
The Washington Supreme Court considered whether a trial court erred by awarding long-term spousal maintenance that counsel described as effectively equalizing future earnings. Attorneys debated whether the 1973 statute and Washburn precedent allow maintenance without a specific finding of 'need' and how long awards may run.
The Washington Supreme Court heard argument on May 16, 2024, over a spousal maintenance award in a dissolution case that counsel for the petitioner said functionally equalized the parties’ future incomes.
Petitioner’s attorney Aaron Orheim told the court the trial court’s remand order resulted in an award that ‘‘equalize[d] the future incomes of spouses after a 20 year marriage for the rest of their working lives,’’ which he described as a results‑oriented decision untethered to statutory factors. Orheim said the record showed the wife had already received the family home, retirement accounts and other assets and that she had received more than…
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