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133-429: Due to the recasting of the judge role, however, Divorce Court does not boast the longest individual series run or longest arbitrator in the court show genre; those records are held by Judge Judy and The People's Court . The first two runs of Divorce Court , the original version that aired for five seasons from 1957 to 1962 and the first revival that ran for two seasons from 1967 to 1969, featured Voltaire Perkins as

266-400: A Guinness World Records recognition for longest serving television arbitrator; and originated many courtroom programming trends, from use of eponymous show titles to cold open trailers . Two court spin-offs have been generated from Judge Judy : Judy Justice , starring Sheindlin as judge; and Tribunal Justice , featuring Byrd as bailiff. Like Judy Justice , Tribunal Justice

399-431: A Los Angeles Times article on Sheindlin's reputation as one of the toughest family court judges in the country, written by Josh Getlin (inspired by his wife, Heidi, both of whom Sheindlin credits with her stardom ) caught the attention of 60 Minutes , which aired a segment on her on October 24, 1993. The segment brought her national recognition, and days later from its airing, led to Sheindlin receiving an offer from

532-441: A 4:3 aspect ratio . Late into the show's 23rd season, Sheindlin drastically altered her hairstyle by abandoning the bouffant hairdo that she had sported since the show's beginnings; she replaced that with a new style created from her hair pulled back and bounded by a clip-on hair bun at the back of her head. Her new hairstyle sparked widespread attention, and considerable negative reviews from viewers (media spectators alike) to

665-412: A cold open trailer of the main case, sensationalizing various moments of the case with brief soundbites accompanied with dramatic music, voice-over commentary, graphics, etc. This is followed by the show's title sequence music video. At the beginning of each court proceeding, information regarding who is suing whom and what for is revealed by voice-over commentary. When Sheindlin made her entrance,

798-581: A general contractor suing his customer over unpaid work. In this final taped case of the series, Sheindlin also made no farewell remarks nor gave any attention to it being the series' close. While this final filmed case (episode 179 of season 25, "Judge Judy Makes a Call!/Mother vs. Son" ) aired on June 8, 2021, cases taped before that point continued to air for the first time through the series finale episode, which aired on July 23, 2021 (episode 200 of season 25, "Architecture Barter Gone Bad"). Worthy to note, only one detail made Sheindlin's final filmed case of

931-612: A verdict of a specific dollar amount (not always in the full amount of what is requested and rarely if ever more than what was requested even if she believed complainants were deserving of more) or B.) by dismissing the lawsuit altogether. When ruled on in these manners, cases couldn't be refiled or retried elsewhere. However, if Sheindlin specifically dismissed the lawsuit " without prejudice ", that lawsuit could be refiled and retried in another forum. In some instances, Sheindlin dismissed cases without prejudice deliberately so that complainants pursued defendants in an actual court of law so that

1064-554: A 2011 ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada established that under current laws "equalization payments agreed to as part of a divorce are considered debts, and are wiped off a person's balance sheet when they declare bankruptcy." Laws of the Czech Republic provide for spousal maintenance both during marriage and after divorce. As main principle, both spouses have the right for generally equal standard of living during

1197-643: A Blue Ribbon Commission to address Alimony Reform. The Senate has a similar bill pending that has not yet been posted in the Judiciary Committee. The NJ Matrimonial Bar Association has been vehemently fighting against Alimony Reform, led by Patrick Judge Jr. chairman of the Family Law section of the New Jersey State Bar Association. Attorney Judge stated that the New Jersey State Bar Association ("NJSBA") objected to

1330-595: A certain demographic of individuals and sat them strategically throughout their audience. Most of these paid extras were aspiring actors. Though tickets were not offered for the show, arrangements could sometimes be made with Sheindlin's production staff to allow fans of the show into the audience. The extras could not dress casually, and no logos or brand names could be visible on their clothing. Extras were also instructed to appear as if they were having discussions with each other before and after each case, so Byrd made such announcements as "Order! All rise." To acquire cases,

1463-619: A congratulatory letter, stating, "If you ever need a bailiff, I still look good in uniform." She phoned Byrd at his home in California to accept his offer, and he ended up replacing the unaired pilot episode bailiff. Sheindlin has stated that the show's producers desired different individuals for the role of bailiff, but she refused. Sheindlin has revealed that from the start, she only envisioned her courtroom program lasting 2 to 3 seasons, rationalizing that most TV ventures fail. Sheindlin appeared again on 60 Minutes on April 30, 2003. During

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1596-481: A divorce are fair and equitable to the facts of their individual case. Some groups have proposed various forms of legislation to reform alimony parameters (i.e. amounts and term). Alimony terms are among the most frequent issues causing litigation in family law cases. Eighty percent of divorce cases involve a request for modification of alimony. Some states (e.g. Florida, Texas, Maine) are moving away from permanent alimony awards that are intended to maintain

1729-570: A few weeks. This had sometimes included January when the show returned from its winter hiatus. Two new episodes were also shown daily during the " sweeps " months of November, February, and May. Unlike other television programs, the Judge Judy season finale did not air in April or May; rather, it aired in June, July, August, or sometimes even very early September just before the following season. When

1862-542: A home in New York among other cities/states, flew out on her private jet to tape her show, typically Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. From 2014 through the conclusion of Judge Judy in 2021, the show's courtroom set was located directly beside the set of the courtroom series Sheindlin created and produces, Hot Bench . Hot Bench remains in production at the Sunset Bronson Studios. Previous to that,

1995-471: A literary agent to write her first book. Sheindlin accepted the offer, writing Don't Pee On My Leg and Tell Me It's Raining , published on February 7, 1996. Its publisher, HarperCollins , expressed disapproval of her book title, claiming no one would promote it under that kind of name. Sheindlin stood her ground on the use of the title and ended up selling 216,709 copies. In March 1995, two talent scouts (before that, former People's Court producers) from

2128-404: A lump sum or in installments, when one party cannot support themselves without payments from the other party. Under traditional English common law , a woman gave up her personal property rights on marriage (see Coverture ). Upon separation from marriage, the husband retained the right to the wife's property, but, in exchange, had an ongoing responsibility to support the wife after dissolution of

2261-505: A marriage or common-law relationship, courts will look at the conditions, means, needs and other circumstances of each spouse. This includes: This is by no means an exhaustive list of factors which the court will consider when determining entitlement. Each case is determined on its own unique set of circumstances. Factors for awarding spousal support The federal Divorce Act at s.15.2 (6) states that there are four objectives of spousal support orders: Amount and duration The longer

2394-407: A month she works, Sheindlin replied, "Five days." Sheindlin and her producers sometimes taped only five cases per day and two days per week. The show had fifty-two taping days a year. For each season, some 650 claims were brought to the set to be "presided" over by Judge Judy. This means approximately 16,250 claims had been brought to Judy Sheindlin's Hollywood set by the show's completion. For

2527-408: A month), Sheindlin and her producers taped the court show. They usually produced ten to twelve cases for each day they taped the show. This made for about a week's worth of episodes, all done within one day. Anywhere from thirty to thirty-six cases were taped over three days during the week. Sheindlin appeared as a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on September 13, 2011. When asked by Kimmel how many days

2660-416: A new division of Fox Television Stations known as Fox First Run with ad sales handled by CBS Television Distribution . Judge Judy Judge Judy is an American arbitration-based reality court show presided over by former Manhattan Family Court Judge Judith Sheindlin . The show featured Sheindlin as she adjudicated real-life small-claims disputes within a simulated courtroom set. Prior to

2793-471: A one-time payment of isha-ryo , or consolation money, to the "wronged" spouse in the divorce, a type of compensation which does not exist in some other jurisdictions such as most U.S. states. In the U.S., state law establishes requirements regarding alimony (and child support) payments, recovery and penalties. A spouse trying to recover back alimony sometimes may use only the collection procedures that are available to all other creditors, such as reporting

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2926-530: A panel of judges she cast for the series. Petri Hawkins-Byrd , referred to on the program simply as Byrd or Officer Byrd, was the bailiff on Judge Judy for the show's entire 25-season run, making him the longest-serving bailiff in court television history. Byrd's professional relationship with Sheindlin predates Judge Judy as he was her bailiff throughout her career in the Manhattan family court system. When Byrd found out about Sheindlin's show, he sent her

3059-450: A period adequate to circumstances, but no longer than three years. If those special conditions are not met, both of the divorced have mutual spousal maintenance obligation in case that one of them is not able to provide for themselves due to circumstances originating in marriage, if payment of alimony is reasonable under general circumstances that each of the divorced found themselves in. English courts award spousal maintenance, either in

3192-587: A place in the Guinness World Records on September 14, 2015. Judge Judy completed its series run at 25 seasons. In honor of the 25th and final season of the program, Josh Getlin published another article on Sheindlin. The Los Angeles Times article, published on June 8, 2021 (the same day as the airing of the final filmed case), shared background details about the 1993 article that catapulted Sheindlin's television career and his relationship with Sheindlin. Each episode of Judge Judy begins with

3325-419: A prenuptial agreement or a post-nuptial agreement by the party against whom alimony is sought may also cause a court to invalidate a waiver of alimony provision.  Prenuptial Agreements with valid alimony waivers or restrictions entered into in one state should be fully enforceable by the courts of another state in the event of a divorce, unless the terms of the prenuptial agreement are in material violation of

3458-431: A press release statement over the matters, Ephriam stated, "When will FOX and the rest of America accept our cultural differences as African Americans and embrace us with all of our different hairstyles, hair textures, hair color." During her seven-year judgeship over the program, Mablean was known for her quirky voice and expressions, and reactions of amusement, shock and appall over the accounts of outrageous behavior by

3591-582: A process for allowing alimony payers to request modifications when they want to retire. The bill allowed judges to reduce or terminate alimony obligations based on a number of factors. The passage came after decades of contentious debate garnering three vetoes of similar bills. Some groups that were previously major opponents of the reform approved of the 2023 policy, such as Florida Family Fairness and The Florida Bar . California, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Oklahoma, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, and West Virginia have all passed laws that allow for

3724-428: A public charge. Types of spousal support In Canada, spousal support may be awarded upon divorce, under the federal Divorce Act , or upon separation without divorce under provincial statutes. There are generally three different forms of spousal support awarded: Married spouses and common-law spouses Both married spouses and common-law spouses may be entitled to spousal support. An important distinction between

3857-578: A short portion of season 1 before switching to a sea green that same season through the 4th season. In season 4, the entire courtroom set was redesigned while retaining the sea green and saffron graphics and intro. By seasons 5 through 8, the title sequence commenced with an approaching scene towards a computer animated courthouse display up until that scene entered the courthouse. From there, several shots of Sheindlin gesticulating from her bench—as though presiding over various cases—were displayed in motion. These motioning images eventually developed into

3990-429: A single long case, three shorter ones, or even four shorter ones. After expressing her views of the circumstances and behaviors of the litigants with regards to their testimonies, Sheindlin rendered the judgment either by finding for the plaintiff (typically by stating, "Judgement for the plaintiff in the amount of x dollars," and a closing exclamation, such as "That's all," "We're done," or "Goodbye!"), or by dismissing

4123-488: A spouse's standard of living enjoyed during the marriage and are moving towards durational or rehabilitative alimony. In other states, like Mississippi and Tennessee, alimony is usually awarded for life. Some of the critical issues that proponents and opponents of alimony reform disagree upon are: In 2012, bills were introduced in the New Jersey Assembly and Senate. The Assembly passed a bill calling for

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4256-504: A standardized non-presumptive guideline upon which courts can rely. In general, there are four types of alimony: Some of the possible factors that bear on the amount and duration of the support are: Prenuptial agreements are recognized in all fifty states and the District of Columbia, and every jurisdiction allows parties to agree to spousal support and alimony terms in a premarital or postnuptial agreement, if their marital agreement

4389-516: A talent agency that was later entitled "Rebel Entertainment", Kaye Switzer and Sandi Spreckman, asked Sheindlin if she would like to preside over her own courtroom series. Sheindlin eventually accepted, and the "Rebel" talent agency used a pilot episode to pitch to then- Big Ticket Television president Larry Lyttle in 1995. Switzer, Spreckman, along with Rebel Entertainment Owner Richard Lawrence later sued CBS and Sheindlin numerous times over allegedly owed profit shares for their part in commencing

4522-508: A weekly, live, one-hour program. In 1958, KTTV began recording Divorce Court on Ampex videotape and syndicated the program nationally. Production resumed in the fall of 1967 following a five-year hiatus, this time as a half-hour daily series recorded in color. This second series of Divorce Court ended in 1969, though reruns continued to be offered to some stations throughout the early 1970s. A revival began in 1984 and featured retired Supreme Court of California judge William B. Keene as

4655-487: A woman who has borne him children so that she can raise them: The above law only applies to women who had children with her husband. This fits more closely with the definition of child support in some jurisdictions. Alimony is also discussed in the Code of Justinian . The modern concept of alimony is derived from English ecclesiastical courts that awarded alimony in cases of separation and divorce. Alimony pendente lite

4788-452: Is a legal obligation on a person to provide financial support to their spouse before or after marital separation or divorce . The obligation arises from the divorce law or family law of each country. In most jurisdictions, it is distinct from child support , where, after divorce, one parent is required to contribute to the support of their children by paying money to the child's other parent or guardian. The term alimony comes from

4921-509: Is created by Sheindlin and streamed on Amazon Freevee . After Joseph Wapner was released from The People's Court on May 21, 1993, Sheindlin called up the program's producers, Ralph Edwards-Stu Billett Productions and Warner Bros. Television , and offered to do the show in his place. The receptionist who answered the phone responded "Are you crazy, lady?" before directly hanging up on Sheindlin. Earlier that same year in February 1993,

5054-504: Is essentially a form of binding- arbitration in the manner of many modern day courtroom programs. In some instances, the judge may withhold a decision to give the couple ample time to consider a reconciliation. Occasionally, the show revisits a case from a past episode where time to explore reconciliation was offered in order to determine if the delay either remedied or worsened the marriage. Social media segments involving viewer reactions and polls have also been incorporated this installment of

5187-437: Is prepared in accordance with state and federal law requirements.  Divorce courts retain the discretion to refuse to enforce prenuptial agreement terms restricting a party’s right to seek alimony if that party would have to seek public assistance as a result of the alimony waiver, or if the restriction on the right to seek alimony is unconscionable or unfair when the divorce occurs. Lack of financial disclosure prior to signing

5320-528: The Statue of Liberty (over a blue background) followed by Sheindlin approaching the camera folding her arms and smiling. This is followed by shots of her presiding over different cases (which are shown in the scales of the Lady Justice statue in cubes). For much of the series outside of the initial episodes, the opening music video consisted of voice-over artist Jerry Bishop stating: "You are about to enter

5453-474: The letterbox -like graphics that appeared during the show's outgoing and incoming commercial bumpers, lasting from season 9 through 25. The set also featured a New York state flag (positioned across from an American flag ) situated behind Judge Judy Sheindlin's chair. Over the show's 25-year existence, it saw very few restyling updates from season to season, that is, outside of seasons 1, 2, 9, and 25 (season 25 due to COVID-19 ). Outside of initial seasons and

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5586-420: The testimony submitted by both parties. This can be modified at any future date based on a change of circumstances by either party on proper notice to the other party and application to the court. The courts are generally reluctant to modify an existing agreement unless the reasons are compelling. In some jurisdictions the court always has jurisdiction to grant maintenance should one of the former spouses become

5719-456: The 1999–00 season through the 2005–06 season, her tenure coming to an abrupt and unexpected end over a failure to come to terms in contract negotiations for an eighth season of the current installment. As part of the terms of the contract, Ephriam stated that she was forbidden from changing her hairstyle for the entirety of that following season, that the network reasoned that her hairstyles were too time-consuming for their hair and makeup team . In

5852-455: The 19th century, but divorce was only possible in cases of marital misconduct. As a result, the requirement to pay alimony became linked to the concept of fault in the divorce. Alimony to wives was paid because it was assumed that the marriage, and the wife's right to support, would have continued but for the misbehavior of the husband. Ending alimony on divorce would have permitted a guilty husband to profit from his own misconduct. In contrast, if

5985-543: The Beethoven remix once again played. Additionally, solemn violin-like striking tones sounded directly following Sheindlin's final verdict of each episode, lasting from season 9 through the remainder of the show's run. The graphics also began showing up in falu red . The intro was also changed for the ninth season as well. For its scenes, the Lady Justice statue is shown followed by a split screen of Sheindlin and

6118-545: The Divorce Act, 1869 (Section 36 for pendente lite , Section 37 for permanent alimony). Parsis : Governed by the Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act (Section 39 for pendente lite , Section 40 for permanent alimony). Secular : Special Marriage Act, 1954 (Section 36 for pendente lite , Section 37 for permanent alimony). The duty of mutual assistance of the spouses turns into an obligation of maintenance following

6251-464: The Latin word alimonia ("nourishment, sustenance", from alere , "to nourish"), from which the terms alimentary (of, or relating to food, nutrition, or digestion), and aliment (a Scots Law rule regarding sustenance to assure the wife's lodging, food, clothing, and other necessities after divorce) are also derived. The Code of Hammurabi (1754 BC) declares that a man must provide sustenance to

6384-517: The alimony recipient to not remarry so that they will continue to receive money from their ex-spouse. However, many states still have permanent alimony awards. In the 1970s, the United States Supreme Court ruled against gender bias in alimony awards and, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the percentage of alimony recipients who are male rose from 2.4% in 2001 to 3.6% in 2006. In states like Massachusetts and Louisiana,

6517-409: The amount and/or duration of alimony. In Texas, Mississippi and Tennessee, for example, alimony is awarded only in cases of marriage or civil union of ten years or longer and the payments are limited to three years unless there are special, extenuating circumstances. Also, in case of Texas, there is a legal presumption while dealing with a spousal maintenance case, that the alimony isn't appropriate. Once

6650-435: The amount due to a collection agency , or seek enforcement through contempt of court proceedings against an obligor who is able to pay but has failed to do so. Alimony obligations are not dischargeable in bankruptcy . The determination of alimony varies greatly from state to state within the U.S. Some state statutes, including those of Texas, Montana, Kansas, Utah, Kentucky and Maine, give explicit guidelines to judges on

6783-422: The bench, Jones served for years as a New York prosecutor, and later, as senior assistant district attorney. She has appeared on Today , NBC Nightly News , MSNBC , CNN , Court TV , TruTV , and Inside Edition as a legal correspondent. A previous member of the court show genre, Jones presided over her own courtroom series Jones & Jury . Although the show was canceled after only one season (1994–95),

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6916-408: The board had made a transition to a format involving former judges or attorneys legitimately arbitrating over actual small claims cases, a trend first introduced by The People's Court and heavily popularized by the ratings success of Judge Judy . Following the lead of its counterparts, Divorce Court was reformatted accordingly. While touted as presenting real cases to television audiences,

7049-430: The case directly to broadcast viewers. Sometimes, however, these segments were omitted, especially after cases involving resentful litigants, too upset over the circumstances to remain in the studio and provide comments. The producers of Judge Judy hired extras from an audience service who composed the entire studio. Paid audience members were easier to control due to contracts and employment. Producers also looked for

7182-439: The case specifically with or without prejudice . After she ruled and exited the courtroom, Byrd was heard stating: "Parties are excused. You may step out," after which he escorted the litigants out of the courtroom. Any counterclaims filed were handled similarly. At the end of each case, there was typically a fourth-wall –breaking segment during which litigants, and sometimes their witnesses, expressed their feelings regarding

7315-554: The cases taped in March (sometimes April) ended the seasons, the cases taped throughout April, May, June, and July started each season in September and lasted through October. Throughout the very beginning of each season, two new Judge Judy episodes aired per day. After two weeks, this was reduced to one new airing a day, followed by a repeat. There were also various other moments throughout the year where two new episodes were shown for

7448-403: The cases, not including any footage deleted to meet the time constraints of the show, usually lasted anywhere from twelve to forty-five minutes. Judge Judy , like most court programs, was inexpensive to produce and thus created considerable income. A budget for a week's worth of Judge Judy episodes was half the cost of a single network sitcom episode. Three days every other week (two weeks

7581-410: The circumstances. If one party is already receiving support at the time of the divorce, the previous order is not automatically continued (although this can be requested), as the arguments for support during and after the marriage can be different. Unless the parties agree on the terms of their divorce in a binding written instrument , the court will make a determination based on the legal argument and

7714-577: The court show's 40th season September 19, 2022. She began presiding on August 22, 2022. The series will see Jones preside over cases ranging from divorce court proceedings to a whole realm of domestic disputes. Describing her judicial approach, Jones referred to herself as "Judge Star" and stated while finger snapping , "Honey, Divorce Court is lit this season". Jones has communicated her intentions to bring legitimate solutions and resources to troubled relationships, along with deep empathy as well as her dynamic personality. Bringing an extensive law background to

7847-402: The court, with one case presented in each episode. After both sides present their arguments, the judge rules in favor of one side. The judge's decision includes finding in favor of one of the litigants (or, more often than not, declaring a joint decree) and resolving issues such as alimony and asset division. The judge's decisions are legally binding. As such, the modern version of Divorce Court

7980-404: The courthouse logo that represents the program (the logo is always displayed within the letter "D" in "Judy") by the end of this opening music video. The graphics were also changed to blue and saffron along with this change. In the seventh season, while the theme song remained, the instrumentals were updated. In addition, the font for the short closing credits and litigants font was updated but

8113-413: The courtroom audience was brought to order and instructed to rise by Byrd. He then informed Sheindlin of the docket number on the court calendar in the midst of providing Sheindlin a file of legal statements about the case, and directing audience members to be seated. Sheindlin typically began each case by summarizing the disputed matters brought before her. This was followed by preliminary questioning of

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8246-594: The courtroom of Judge Judith Sheindlin. The people are real. The cases are real. The rulings are final. This is Judge Judy ." Originally between the statements "The rulings are final" and "This is Judge Judy" was the statement, "This is her courtroom." This line was dropped in 2004 when season 9 began. Beginning in September 2012, the show made a switch to high definition with its 17th season. The bumpers between commercials are also in HD, although most on-screen graphics such as plaintiff and defendant descriptions are framed to fit

8379-408: The current edition of the program—but the overall 40-year-old series as a whole, presiding over the broadcast for 14 seasons. In her judgeship over the series, Toler was noted for her strident tone. Toler imparted counsel, words of wisdom, logical reasoning, and an effort to talk sense into the show's litigants and took to humorous scolding of the litigants where necessary. Toler's final season hosting

8512-502: The defendants themselves were held financially accountable as opposed to the show. In such cases, Sheindlin had expressed particular aversion to the defendants in question. Further, Sheindlin dismissed cases without prejudice when she suspected both the plaintiff(s) and defendant(s) of conspiring together to gain monetary rewards from the program. Both the plaintiff (s) and the defendant (s) also received an appearance fee. The appearance fee amount had varied between different litigants of

8645-620: The determination of duration and amount of alimony is left to the discretion of the family court judges who must consider case law in each state. In Mississippi, Texas and Tennessee, for example, there are 135 Appellate Cases in addition to 47 sections of State Statute that shape divorce law. As a result of these Appellate Cases, for example, Mississippi judges cannot order an end date to any alimony award. In 2012, Massachusetts signed into law comprehensive alimony reform. This law sets limits on alimony and eliminates lifetime alimony. Similarly, in 2013, Colorado signed into law alimony reform, creating

8778-532: The determination of which it is entrusted to certain specific parameters (conditions of the spouses, reasons for the decision, personal and economic contribution given by each to the family management and to the formation of the patrimony of each or the common one, income of both, duration of marriage). Under the Japanese Civil Code , spousal support is available while the parties are married, but terminates upon divorce. Japanese courts typically award

8911-475: The duration of alimony cannot exceed the length of the marriage. In Maine, Mississippi, and Tennessee alimony is awarded in marriages or civil union of 10 to 20 years and the duration is half the length of the marriage barring extenuating circumstances. Other states, including California, Nevada and New York, have relatively vague statutes which simply list the "factors" a judge should consider when determining alimony (see list of factors below). In these states,

9044-464: The fate of jointly purchased household appliances , and rightful ownership of property. As is standard practice in small claims court and most reality court shows alike, Judge Judy proceedings operated in the form of a bench trial (as opposed to its more common counterpart, the jury trial ). Moreover, lawyers were not present, and litigants had to represent themselves. Generally each show presented two cases, but infrequently, an episode would present

9177-401: The final season, most modifications to the program had been done in minute detail, such as to the show's bookshelf display seen near the courtroom entrance. Aesthetically, the show's theme song , graphics, and color scheme were the only aspects that had changed repeatedly throughout its lifespan. Season 1 , and specifically its initial episodes, took a strikingly contrasting presentation from

9310-415: The final time in 2017. During its run in new episodes, the show did not release airings in the order they were taped. Thus the final filmed case of the series aired on June 8, 2021. While later seasons of the show are currently airing in syndication, the first three seasons are on Pluto TV 's "Courtroom" channel and their "Judge Judy" channel. Judge Judy had an impact on courtroom programming, reviving

9443-415: The foreign jurisdiction's laws. California is the only state with a law that requires that the parties be represented by counsel if spousal support (alimony) is limited by the agreement. Instead of a complete waiver of the right to seek alimony, prenuptial agreements and post-nuptial agreements can also contain terms where the parties agree to a set amount of guaranteed alimony for the lower wage earner at

9576-448: The genre as a whole. It was the highest Nielsen -rated court show for the entirety of its 25-year run in original episodes, also frequently ranking as highest-rated television broadcast in daytime television and syndication. Of the court shows with a single series run (without on-and-off production from cancellation turned series revivals/recasting), Judge Judy had the most seasons. The series also won three Emmy Awards ; earned Sheindlin

9709-494: The husband had the ability to pay. No-fault divorce led to changes in alimony. Whereas spousal support was considered a right under the fault-based system, it became conditional under the no-fault approach. According to the American Bar Association , marital fault is a "factor" in awarding alimony in 25 states and the District of Columbia. Permanent alimony has begun to fall out of favor because it encourages

9842-603: The inclusion of individuals with a vested interest in reforming alimony on the Blue Ribbon Commission and that the NJSBA supported the "establishment of a commission [to study alimony reform] but only as long as the commission is constituted so that a fair and unbiased review of the current alimony laws takes place…[and] should not be predisposed to an outcome…." In 2023 Florida passed an alimony reform bill (SB 1416) which eliminated permanent alimony and established

9975-415: The interview, Sheindlin stated: I have a contract with the company to do the program through the 2006 season. At that point, we will have produced this program for 10 years. Right now, I would be satisfied with a good 10-year run. I think that would really be phenomenal. It would be lovely if we could end on a high note and for me to say "10 years and I still had people watching and I had a second career that

10108-620: The jurist. The second revival ran for nine seasons from 1984 to 1993, with retired Supreme Court of California judge William B. Keene as the presiding jurist. The current incarnation of Divorce Court premiered on August 30, 1999, and has transitioned between multiple judges: former Los Angeles prosecuting attorney, Mablean Ephriam (1999–2006); former Cleveland Heights municipal court judge, Lynn Toler (2006–2020); former New York City prosecutor, Faith Jenkins (2020–2022); and former New York City prosecutor, district attorney, and former View co-host Star Jones (2022–present). Prior to

10241-962: The knowledge and thoughts of others, and had to maintain eye contact with Sheindlin while relaying testimony, among other things. If Sheindlin deemed that children were not needed to testify, she directed Byrd to escort them out of the courtroom at the outset of the proceedings. If children testified, occasionally teens as well, Sheindlin would have them sit on the witness stand next to her, which Byrd typically stood in front of. Like most modern court shows, cases on Judge Judy imitated small claims court cases in which civil trials (non- criminal cases ) were heard and ruled on. Typically Sheindlin handled cases among former lovers, disputing neighbors, couples, or family and friend relations. Disputes generally revolved around issues such as broken engagements, unpaid personal loans , contract breaches , personal injuries from other litigants or their pets, minor property damages (e.g., fender benders , carpet stains, etc.),

10374-431: The latter seasons of the show. The courtroom set design and stage props vastly differed from what would become commonplace for the court show. The first episodes of season 1 also used music composed by Fred Lapides: a piano-based melody for the title sequence and closing credits . This theme music was never to be used again outside of the early stages of season 1 in 1996. The show's season 1 voice-over artist Michael Stull

10507-657: The length of cohabitation and the greater the disparity between each party’s incomes, the larger an award of spousal support will be and the longer the duration will be. Although there is no set formula to determine the exact amount and duration of spousal support, there are guidelines, referred to as the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines , which provides ranges for both. the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines calculate ranges for support after taking into account

10640-479: The less you want to spend time patshkeing over the way you look." In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the 24th season production of Judge Judy to end prematurely at only 199 episodes, 61 episodes fewer than the show's typical season number of 260. When Judge Judy returned for season 25, its final season, a multitude of COVID-19 precautionary measures were in place, vastly distinguishing this season of

10773-422: The litigants and their witnesses were covered by the show, and the experience was generally treated as an all-expense-paid vacation outside of the actual court case. If there was an exchange of property, Sheindlin signed an order, and a sheriff or marshal oversaw the exchange. Sheindlin saw only a half-page complaint and a defense response before the taping of the cases, sometimes only moments before. Most of

10906-400: The litigants, evidence was scanned with a document camera at the litigant lecterns, allowing Sheindlin to view it remotely. In addition, litigant afterthoughts following the case were shared at the podiums, instead of in the hallway set used pre-COVID. Steve Kamer took over as voice-over announcer for the 25th season after Jerry Bishop's death on April 21, 2020. On May 21, 2021, Sheindlin

11039-545: The litigants. Lynn Toler , a former judge in Cleveland Heights, Ohio (also former judge of previously cancelled series Power of Attorney in the series' last half season) took over the Divorce Court bench for its 24th season (or eighth season of the show's current installment), which premiered September 11, 2006. Toler would eventually become Divorce Court ' s longest reigning judge—not only over

11172-607: The litigants. Meanwhile, student attorneys would argue the cases. Each episode followed a basic formula, as follows: The first Divorce Court incarnation began airing in 1957 and ran for five seasons until 1962, to be revived in 1967 for an additional two-season run. The first two versions starred actor Voltaire Perkins in the role of the jurist, with Colin Male as the court reporter . In its first year, Divorce Court aired locally in Los Angeles on independent station KTTV as

11305-414: The long closing credits retained the original font. By the eighth season, the font was completely changed and the returning from commercial break scenes were replaced with New York City scenes. Strikingly atypical to most of the show's run, the first few seasons saw litigators and their witnesses readily speaking out of turn, bickering between each other and taking to misbehaviors without Sheindlin exacting

11438-446: The marriage. The same "generally equal standard of living" applies also to post-divorce period in special cases, when the payee wasn't mostly responsible for the failure of marriage or did not agree with the divorce and the payee suffered serious harm due to the divorce and hadn't committed an act of domestic violence against the payer. In such case the payee may request alimony in amount providing "generally equal standard of living" for

11571-704: The marriage. English law was amended by legislation including the Married Women's Property Act 1870 and Married Women's Property Act 1882 which reformed women's property rights relating to marriage, by, for example, permitting divorced women to regain the property they owned before marriage. Alimony in India is governed by personal laws based on religion: Hindus : Governed by the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 (Section 24 for pendente lite , Section 25 for permanent alimony). Christians : Governed by

11704-432: The melody composed by Bill Bodine in season 1, the opening music video was updated to motioning scenes of Sheindlin from the bench, gesticulating as though presiding over cases. These motioning images moved freely until colliding with an image of the Judge Judy courthouse logo, emphasized by a striking cymbal -like sound effect. The background scene for this title sequence music video was originally depicted in navy blue for

11837-472: The modification or termination of alimony upon demonstration that the recipient is cohabitating with another person. In April 2009, the Governor of New Jersey, Jon Corzine , signed into law changes in the alimony statutes for his state which would bar alimony payments to parents who kill, abuse, or abandon their children. In divorces and separation agreements signed on December 31, 2018 and earlier, alimony

11970-513: The most part, cases were taped throughout the year except for two breaks Sheindlin and all of the staff members of her show had for the year. One of the two breaks included an extra week off in December, as the show was only taped one week out of that month because of the holidays. The other break was from mid-July (only taping one week in July) and all through August. According to members of the show,

12103-401: The narration during the title sequence was also updated with Michael Stull announcing, "You are about to enter the courtroom of Judge Judith Sheindlin. The people are real. The cases are real. The rulings are final. This is her courtroom. This is Judge Judy." This narration lasted through season 8 of the program, though Jerry Bishop took over the narration by season 2. When the show switched to

12236-429: The opposing litigants to recount the entirety of their testimony. During the proceedings, Sheindlin coerced the parties to adhere to her strict management: participants were not allowed to tuck hands in pockets, drink water (unless they ask first), fold arms, chew gum, appear for court dressed at all revealingly or casually, speak out of turn, hesitate in answering questions, offer statements of hearsay , assert to

12369-462: The parties as to dates, times, locations, and other scene-setting facts before addressing the crux of the lawsuit. Governing the discourse throughout the cases, Sheindlin typically allowed only brief portions of each of the testimonies; having read the parties' sworn statements before the taping, she was quick to reply, impose her spiel, and disallow responses that were not concise or which interrupted her. Less frequently, Sheindlin allowed one or both of

12502-548: The personal separation. The spouse who is not responsible for the separation has, in fact, the right to receive from the other "what is necessary for its maintenance" (Article 156 of the Italian Civil Code). In case of dissolution of the marriage, art. 5, paragraph 6, of Law 898/1970 provides for the obligation for a spouse to periodically provide the other with a check "when the latter does not have adequate means or in any case cannot obtain them for objective reasons",

12635-427: The pilot to CBS for approval of the show's broadcast. During the interview, Sheindlin recounted: I remember that somebody then was trying to fit me into a sort of cookie cutter (mold). They had seen the 60 minutes [documentary], and they thought the approach that they saw in 60 minutes could be almost a caricature, and I'm not a caricature of that person, I am that person. So the cases that they brought to me to do

12768-420: The pilot were not genuine, and I couldn't react to things that weren't genuine. Because when I'm trying to figure out the truth of a case, and there really is no truth, I can't work. So they took little snippets of the pilot and created a sizzle reel, along with 60 Minutes tape and sold that." Sheindlin taped the final case of the series on April 15, 2021. The case, described by media spectators as mundane, saw

12901-446: The point that the show's Facebook moderator admonished posters that negative commentary about the clip-on bun would be deleted. Her bailiff, Petri Hawkins-Byrd, admitted to a preference for the original hairdo. Asked about the change in hairstyle, Sheindlin described the former as "a lot of goop and teasing and product and fussing around by somebody else. This is so much easier. And as each hour in every day we have becomes more precious,

13034-400: The premiere of the currently running version, all of the previous incarnations of Divorce Court were presented in the form of reenactments of real-life divorce cases. When the series was revived, it took the form of a reality arbitration based format. The 16th season, which began the show's fourth and present incarnation of the series, debuted in September 1999. By that time, court shows across

13167-566: The presiding jurist and former game show host Jim Peck as court reporter (replaced in 1989 by former Scarecrow and Mrs. King star Martha Smith ). This edition ran until 1992 for a total of nine seasons, with reruns airing on the USA Network during the early 1990s. The fourth installment and current edition of Divorce Court which premiered in the fall of 1999 has a very different setup from its predecessor editions. Real couples–who had previously filed for divorce–argue their cases before

13300-489: The proceedings, all involved parties signed arbitration contracts agreeing to Sheindlin's ruling. The show aired in first-run syndication . As it was during its active years in production, it continues to be distributed by CBS Media Ventures in syndication, now in reruns that still draw notably high ratings. The series premiered on September 16, 1996, and concluded on July 23, 2021. The court show ended with its 25th season after Sheindlin and CBS renewed their contract for

13433-469: The program and introducing the two parties. Sheindlin originally desired the show title to be "Hot Bench", and the network and various news publications even promoted it as Hot Bench for some time prior to débuting, but Big Ticket Television ultimately decided on "Judge Judy". The Hot Bench title was eventually used by Sheindlin, however, for a different court show she later created (2014–present), which does not feature Sheindlin herself, but rather

13566-648: The program no longer taking the appearance of an average American courtroom by the show's 21st season and Toler citing physical discomfort in presiding from the judge's bench. In an October 19, 2021, episode of Bailiff Byrd 's Bonding with Byrd web series, Toler also explained that producers attempted to move the series into a more farcical , comedic direction following the viral "Rolling Ray" case in November 2019. Toler added that behind-the-scenes altercations between her and Divorce Court producers over production moves were commonplace throughout her final season with

13699-421: The program was in the present edition's 21st season, during the 2019–20 television year. It was during that season that Toler took objection to what she described as a hostile, unfriendly atmosphere coming from the network and production. In addition, Toler cited discontentment with an assortment of management decisions brought on her and the program by production. Among those decisions were in the show's set design,

13832-643: The program. For these reasons, Toler left the series at the end of that season (which ended up being shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic ). During the Bonding with Byrd interview, Toler noted that she did not miss the show as she had left it in her final season (taped from Atlanta), but did miss the show that it was previous to her final season (taped from Los Angeles). For the 2020–21 television year and current edition's 22nd season, former New York City prosecutor and former arbitrator over her own court show for four years, Faith Jenkins appeared as judge over

13965-507: The really good bottle of wine third." Altogether, there were 260 new episodes each season. There was at least one new episode for every weekday, except a few hiatuses during most of the summer, a couple of holidays, and in the latter seasons of the show, early spring as well (much of March and April). The cases were all pre-recorded for editing purposes and would usually air one to three months after being taped. The cases were mixed up and not shown in order of when they were recorded. While

14098-479: The reason for this break was that people were more interested in taking vacations than in filing lawsuits around that time. When the seasons premiered in September, only episodes perceived as the best by program staff of the ones taped before Sheindlin's break were selected to start the season. Thus, the first few weeks (the first week in particular) would consist of what the show felt to be its best episodes. In Sheindlin's words, "It's like drinking wine. You don't serve

14231-498: The relevant factors. Although the courts are not required to abide by the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines , they are required to take them into account when deciding on the issue of spousal support. The length of the relationship will be taken into account when determining how long spousal support should be paid for. Awards for spousal support can be for a limited term or indefinite. While declaring bankruptcy does not absolve Canadians of obligations to pay alimony or child support,

14364-532: The requesting spouse can reasonably demonstrate that he/she has given the best effort in good faith to secure an independent income but failed, only then the case is taken into consideration. Furthermore, the amount of spousal support in Texas is limited to the lesser of $ 5,000 per month or 20% of the payee's gross income. In Delaware, spousal support is usually not awarded in marriages of less than 10 years. In Kansas, alimony awards cannot exceed 121 months. In Utah,

14497-406: The salaries of new spouses may be used in determining the alimony paid to the previous partners. Most recently, in several high-profile divorces, women such as Britney Spears , Victoria Principal , and Jessica Simpson have paid multimillion-dollar settlements in lieu of alimony to ex-husbands. According to divorce lawyers, aggressive pursuit of spousal support by men is becoming more common, as

14630-652: The season finale was extended to July, August, or September, most of the summer episodes preceding it were repeats with new episodes that were few and far in between. Two DVDs, featuring "memorable cases", were released by the show: the first in 2007, "Judge Judy: Justice Served," and the second in 2008, "Judge Judy: Second To None." For its entire 25-season run, Judge Judy taped at the Sunset Bronson Studios on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles , California . In alternating weeks, Sheindlin, who owns

14763-406: The series has had four announcers during its run. The first announcer was Jimmy Hodson, who served from the beginning of the current run in 1999 until 2011 when Hodson was replaced by Inger Tutor for one season (2011–2012). Tutor was succeeded by Talon Beeson in 2012, who lasted two seasons (2012–2014). Rolonda Watts (who was formerly with Judge Joe Brown from 2005 until 2013) succeeded Beeson as

14896-485: The series made Jones the first Black person to preside over a court show and first female to serve as a television arbitrator, as well as second television arbitrator ever, preceded only by Joseph Wapner . Divorce Court is currently produced by Lincolnwood Drive and distributed by the Fox First Run division of Fox Television Stations , with Sonja Solomun serving as Executive Producer. The current edition of

15029-561: The series on June 8 stand out among other episodes since it was not featured in the series finale episode: that is a glittery, bee-shaped clip that Sheindlin wore in her hair. Sheindlin explained that this was a wink to her Judge Judy fans and a nod to her Queen Bee production company at the end of a 25-year reign over daytime television. Alimony Alimony , also called aliment (Scotland), maintenance (England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales, Canada, New Zealand), spousal support (U.S., Canada) and spouse maintenance (Australia),

15162-402: The series, replacing Toler. In November 2020, the series was renewed for two additional seasons, through the 2022–23 season. It was announced on January 10, 2022, that former Brooklyn , New York , Prosecutor and District Attorney Star Jones (best known for her 9-year stint as one of the first co-hosts of ABC 's The View ) would succeed Jenkins as Divorce Court ' s next arbitrator in

15295-404: The series. When the current version of Divorce Court was resurrected for a 17th season in the fall of 1999, former Los Angeles Prosecuting Attorney Mablean Ephriam was featured as the show's presiding judge. Notable in her judgeship over the series, Ephriam was the show's first African American and first female jurist. Ephriam presided over this life of Divorce Court for seven years, from

15428-437: The show being taped primarily in California, it displayed various images of New York City during the incoming commercial bumpers (audio and visuals shown returning from commercial breaks), including New York subways, parks, monuments, etc. In addition, the words "State of New York" and "Family Court" (Sheindlin was previously a New York family court judge in addition to being a native of New York) scrolled back and forth within

15561-467: The show from previous seasons. Sheindlin presided remotely from New York; producers built a partial makeshift set there for her, with a different set design behind her and a larger, darker executive chair. Byrd and the litigants (and witnesses, if any) participated from the Los Angeles studio, now devoid of audience members. Sheindlin interacted with the litigants through a live Internet link. Because Byrd could not physically convey evidence between her and

15694-457: The show generally used one of the following three options: After one of these three processes, if the producers were interested, their employees would then call both parties and ask them questions relating to their lawsuit, making sure they were suitable for Judge Judy . If the parties agreed to be on the show and signed an arbitration contract, agreeing that arbitration in Sheindlin's court

15827-703: The show's announcer starting in the 2014–15 season. The show was previously recorded at Sunset Bronson Studios in Los Angeles. Currently, it is taped in Studio C at the studios of Georgia Public Broadcasting complex in Atlanta in exchange for film industry incentives in Georgia . Recently, they taped at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta. Following the completion of the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney in March 2019, distribution of Divorce Court transferred to

15960-442: The show: certain litigants had reported receiving a $ 500 appearance fee while others had reported receiving $ 100, and others $ 250. In addition to the appearance fee amount, reportedly (at least some) litigants were paid $ 35 a day by the show. The litigants' stay lasted for the number of days that the show did taping for that week, which was two or three days. In addition, the airfare (or other means of travel) and hotel expenses of

16093-446: The space directly beside Sheindlin's set was used for the courtroom series Paternity Court , only for the 2013–14 television season (that court show's 1st season). Prior to that, the space was used for Judge Judy ' s sister show Judge Joe Brown until Judge Joe Brown ' s 2013 cancellation. Like Judge Judy , Judge Joe Brown was also produced by Big Ticket Entertainment . The two shows alternated taping weeks. Despite

16226-399: The stigma associated with asking for alimony fades. Once dissolution proceedings commence, either party may seek interim or pendente lite support during the course of the litigation . Where a divorce or dissolution of marriage ( civil union ) is granted, either party may ask for post-marital alimony. It is not an absolute right, but may be granted, the amount and terms varying with

16359-399: The stories from earlier versions of Divorce Court were actually dramatized, scripted reenactments of divorce cases presented by actors. Actors portrayed the lawsuit included the plaintiff , who initiated the divorce proceedings; the defendant , who either sought a conflict resolution or sought a divorce decree of his/her own; and a number of witnesses , who testified on behalf of one of

16492-406: The strict measures for which later became a staple of the program. The ninth season (2004–05) was one of the few seasons in which the show underwent major remodeling when music for the show's opening, closing, and to/from commercial portions were modified. A remixed version of a melody from Beethoven's 5th Symphony was then adopted as the show's title sequence and closing music. This arrangement

16625-513: The time of divorce, or a cap/limit on the amount of alimony either party can seek in the event of a divorce. In the United States, family laws and precedents as they relate to divorce, community property and alimony vary based on state law. Also, with new family models, "working couples", "working wives", " stay-at-home dads ", etc., there are situations where some parties to a divorce question whether traditional economic allocations made in

16758-467: The two is that common-law spouses must start an action claiming spousal support within one year of the breakdown of the relationship. A second important distinction is that only married couples may divorce under the federal Divorce Act , common-law spouses may only separate under provincial legislation, such as Ontario's Family Law Act or British Columbia's Family Relation's Act . No such limitation arises for married individuals. In addition to being in

16891-400: The wife committed the misconduct, she was considered to have forfeited any claim to ongoing support. However, during this period, parties could rarely afford alimony, and so it was rarely awarded by courts. As husbands' incomes increased, and with it the possibility of paying alimony, the awarding of alimony increased, generally because a wife could show a need for ongoing financial support, and

17024-595: Was a blast." On September 14, 2015, Sheindlin began celebrating her 20th season anniversary presiding on Judge Judy . The program is the first in the court show genre to make it to 20 seasons without cancellation, as well as the first to make it to this extent under one arbitrator. Three years later by September 2018, the Judge Mathis court show entered its 20th season and became the second and only other court show to accomplish this feat. Sheindlin's distinction as television's longest-serving judge or arbitrator won her

17157-422: Was asked by USA Today what she recalled of her unaired Judge Judy pilot episode, used to sell the series to Big Ticket Television. Sheindlin responded by expressing great disfavor of the pilot episode, indicating that Judge Judy producers only set up fictionalized cases and steered her to dramatized reactions and behaviors. This ultimately ended up in Sheindlin's production team sending only bits and pieces of

17290-423: Was composed by Non-Stop Music Productions. During the program's outgoing commercial bumpers (short portions of the program that took each episode to a commercial break, in the case of this program, adding previews of the remainder of the case or cases to be featured in the episode) a dramatic violin -like melody sounded in contrast to the Beethoven remix. When the program resumed with its incoming commercial bumper,

17423-409: Was final and couldn't be pursued elsewhere (unless Sheindlin dismissed the lawsuit without prejudice ), their case would air on Judge Judy . The award limit on Judge Judy , as on most "syndi-court" shows (and most small claims courts in the U.S.), was $ 5,000. The award for each judgment was paid by the producers of the show from a fund reserved for the purpose. Sheindlin ruled by either A.) issuing

17556-468: Was given until the divorce decree, based on the husband's duty to support the wife during a marriage that still continued. Post-divorce or permanent alimony was also based on the notion that the marriage continued, as ecclesiastical courts could only award a divorce a mensa et thoro , similar to a legal separation today. As divorce did not end the marriage, the husband's duty to support his wife remained intact. Liberalization of divorce laws occurred in

17689-404: Was heard narrating this intro theme, stating: "This is Judge Judy. Real people—in real cases—in real conflict. She was a real judge with over 15 years of courtroom experience." After numerous episodes towards the beginning of season one, the show's theme music was completely revamped to a percussive drum-like, ascending melody composed by Bill Bodine. Integrated into the modified theme music,

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