- 7 - portion would satisfy the section 71(b)(1)(D) requirement that the payment obligations terminate on the death of the payee spouse. Div. Pa. Code sec. 104 (1989) defines alimony as "An order for support granted by this or any other state to a spouse or former spouse in conjunction with a decree granting a divorce or annulment." In the instant case, the agreement and subsequent divorce decree provide that the agreement is incorporated, not merged into the decree. Therefore, the agreement retains its identity as a contract and does not become a court order. D'Huy v. D'Huy, 568 A.2d 1289, 1292 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1990); Sonder v. Sonder, 549 A.2d 155, 165 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1988). Additionally, there was no alimony order by the Pennsylvania court that granted the divorce. Because neither the agreement nor the addendum is an "order for support", the payments made pursuant to them are not alimony under Pennsylvania divorce law. Thus, Pennsylvania divorce law does not provide that these payments will terminate on the death of the payee spouse; instead, Pennsylvania law requires that these payments are enforceable as a contract. D'Huy v. D'Huy, supra at 1293 ("The property settlement agreement remains an enforceable contract, not subject to unilateral modification as a court order."). Additionally, Div. Pa. Code sec. 401.1(C) (1989) specifically states: In the absence of a specific provision to the contrary appearing in the agreement, a provisionPage: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Next
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