New Jersey court upholds verbal palimony promises

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- The New Jersey Supreme Court has ruled that couples who entered into verbal agreements before the enactment of the state's 2010 palimony law must keep their promises.

The court unanimously agreed Thursday that the law, which requires written contracts between unwed partners, does not render previous oral agreements unenforceable.

Beverly Maeker and William Ross began a relationship in 1998 and moved into Ross' home a year later. Ross financially supported Maeker in what Justice Barry Albin described in his opinion as a "marital-like relationship" until they separated in 2011.

In the case, Maeker alleged that she devoted most of her life to helping Ross advance because of his promises to provide her with a lifetime of financial support and the two entered a palimony agreement.

"He made this promise, he acted on it and she relied on it," said Angelo Sarno, Maeker's attorney.

Ross sought to dismiss the claim, arguing that the agreement was not in writing and could not be enforced under the Statute of Frauds, which was amended in 2010 to prohibit oral palimony agreements.

After their relationship dissolved in 2011, Ross moved out and cut all financial support to Maeker, according to court documents.

Family court ruled in favor of Maeker, but the Appellate Division ruled in favor of Ross and said the couple had the ability to put the agreement in writing, which would have brought them into compliance with the 2010 law change.

The Supreme Court reversed the appellate division's decision, ruling that the law wasn't mean to nullify agreements made before 2010. Albin wrote in his opinion that the legislature has never "given any signal, express or implied, that it intended the new statute to extinguish previously formed lawful oral palimony agreements."

Sarno said Maeker would receive $6,000 a month from Ross.

An attorney for Ross did not immediately return a message left at his office Friday afternoon.
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