Rabkin

Joanna Rabkin (wife) appeals from an order which reduced the amount of monthly spousal support which Robert Rabkin (husband) was required to pay, effective December 1, 1982, and further provided that on November 30, 1989, unless another order was made, spousal support would be reduced to a reservation of jurisdiction by the court.

The pertinent facts are that on March 17, 1981, an interlocutory judgment dissolving the parties’ marriage was filed. In this judgment, the court reserved jurisdiction to rule on all the remaining issues in the case, including spousal support, child support and the division of the community assets.

The parties had been married for over 20 years. There were two children born of the marriage, but only one of these children was still a minor when the dissolution action was commenced. Husband is a physician and wife had once worked as a laboratory technician, but had not been employed in any capacity since 1963. At the time of the dissolution proceedings, she already suffered from a degenerative disease of the lumbar spine and left knee. Since her medical condition prevented her from standing for any prolonged period of time, it was not possible…