Alimony reform efforts taking place across the country could complicate the lives of people seeking divorces in Virginia, according to a recently column on Forbes.com from contributor Jeff Landers.

Landers points to alimony (also known as spousal support) reform efforts in Massachusetts -- the commonwealth recently passed the Alimony Reform Act of 2011 -- and Florida and New Jersey. Alimony reform, at its most basic, reduces the amount of money that one spouse has to pay another following a divorce.

Landers says that he has seen cases in which the payers of alimony have been treated unfairly following a divorce, being forced to give up far too much to their former spouses.

But Landers also says that the proposed new alimony laws go too far in several cases. This puts the recipient of alimony payments -- still mostly women -- at financial risk.

Here's how Landers explains this: Many women in long-term marriages have dropped out of the workforce to raise children and maintain the family household. In the case of divorce, these women often do not have an adequate income to support themselves. Alimony helps bridge this financial gap.

The goal is to allow the recipients of alimony payments to maintain a lifestyle following their divorces that is at least comparable to the ones that they enjoyed while married.

Landers' hope is that alimony reform doesn't make this an impossibility. There are many reasons behind the failure of marriages. But after these marriages end, life does go on. Alimony payments may be a burden to those who have to make these regular payments, but they can also serve as a financial lifeline to those receiving the payment.

As Landers writes, alimony reform can be a positive thing, but only if it's done fairly for all parties involved.

Source: Forbes, "Alimony Reforms Continue to Create More Uncertainty for Divorcing Women," Jeff Landers, Jan. 18, 2012