In Re Marriage of Chalkley

Petitioner Barbara Chalkley (Barbara) sought modification of the maintenance (formerly alimony) provisions of her 1975 divorce decree. That decree had incorporated the terms of a marriage settlement agreement entered into by Barbara and respondent Thomas Chalkley (Thomas). After receiving the testimony of the two parties and hearing argument of their counsel, the circuit court raised Thomas’ monthly maintenance obligation to Barbara from $1,500 to $2,200. In appealing this result, Thomas explicitly contends that the terms of the settlement agreement precluded the court from altering the…