Men can receive spousal support or alimony after divorce. However, it can be an uphill battle, especially if your ex-wife did not expect to pay it. Most women cannot comprehend paying their former spouse’s alimony, but legally this is possible.
Alimony is the financial support received from one spouse to another. The main purpose of it is to provide financial assistance to the individual till they can independently afford their livelihood. However, in some cases, alimony can be awarded during the divorce and even last till either spouse passes away or remarries. Generally, most states have criteria for obtaining alimony. Furthermore, even if you are the husband, you can still be eligible to receive alimony. Do not assume you will not receive spousal support; reach out to a family lawyer to guide you.
According to the American Divorce Association for Men, often, men feel pressured by societal norms to seek alimony for themselves. They believe that they cannot rely on their ex-wife for financial support. However, this is not valuable because the law allows men to seek alimony. This further applies when the men could not financially provide because they stayed behind to care for the children. Seeking spousal support is fair and equitable for the husband too. Many lifestyle situations now call for an equal for both genders to request alimony once they divorce.
For example, if you were employed but your salary was lower than your wife’s, you may be eligible for alimony. The primary benefit of alimony is to leave both spouses equally in manageable financial health. Therefore, if your wife makes more money than you, it is legally possible to receive alimony.
During a marriage, the money is combined, and both have equal rights to spend the money. Especially if both of you had similar expenses and allocated money towards that, this should not shift during divorce, allowing you to obtain alimony from your wife and continue your lifestyle once the marriage is terminated.
Furthermore, if you served your children and became a stay-at-home dad for years, you have a higher chance for alimony. This situation is comparable to many stay-at-home mothers that are not employed. Most of the time is spent caring for the children, meaning you do not have time or the opportunity to work.
Being a stay-at-home caregiver is considered a full-time job. Therefore, it is not fair to walk away from the marriage with nothing to demonstrate for your hard work regarding finances. Additionally, although the primary caretaker cannot work, they eventually save you a lot of money that would have been spent on childcare. This needs to be factored in when determining your contribution to the household.
Moreover, you can seek alimony if your career suffers due to your marriage. For instance, if you need further education to complete your qualifications but cannot do so because you stayed behind to care for your children. Now that you are seeking a divorce, you may need to get a job. If you had a career before but after raising the children, you were out of the workforce for a long period.
Being absent from the workforce for a long time impacts your career in the future. Finding a place, networking, and developing a professional circle is more challenging, especially since you handle household responsibilities and cannot find the time for anything else and if you have to move due to your spouse’s job. You would have to start new somewhere else. It will be difficult to locate a job that would be suitable for your family. The important thing to note is that alimony depends on your marriage’s financial circumstances, not gender.
