State Budget Ushers In Modest Appellate Changes

Governor Stein signed a state budget into law today, triggering happy headlines about teacher pay and investments in community colleges, amidst debates over a number of other provisions. Tweaks to our appellate system tend not to make the front page, but there is at least one thing worth noting. Borrowing a page from the business court procedures, the law creates a new way for resolving “complex family financial claims.” Suppose, for instance, a divorcing couple seeks judicial intervention for equitable distribution.