Such claims and suits for' contribution can have the practical effect of reopening settlement agreements and requiring the settling parties to pay additional portions of the cleanup costs.

Meanwhile, a Senate committee last week approved a bipartisan bill that would prohibit brand-name drug manufacturers from using settlement agreements to keep generic equivalents off the market.

This week's ruling partially relaxes those criteria, making it easier for spouses, especially rich ones, to rely on agreements that keep specific assets outside a divorce settlement.