Hard Truths About Divorce For Stay-At-Home Mothers

If you have a stable job when your spouse serves you with a divorce petition, you feel like almost everything in your life is falling apart, but at least things are still normal at work.  If you are a stay-at-home parent, the place where you spend your entire day is about to become recognizable; some days, your children will not even be there.  What do stay-at-home parents do when they are not parenting?  How do you go from having zero earned income to being financially independent?  Raising children is hard enough even if you have a stable marriage, but the loneliness of being a stay-at-home mother combined with the loneliness of divorce is a unique kind of pain.  You will eventually settle into a new normal with your children and, most likely, with your new job.  A Boca Raton divorce lawyer can help you emerge from your divorce in a stable financial position.

You Will Need to Return to the Workforce, Even If the Court Awards You Alimony

If one spouse depended on the other financially during the marriage, the court will probably award alimony to the financially disadvantaged spouse.  The alimony only lasts for a set period of time, though; permanent alimony is only for people who were married for decades and cannot work because of age or disability.  If you are young enough that your children are minors, it is almost certain that you will need to return to the workforce.  You may need to meet with a vocational counselor to get a fair assessment of how much you can expect to make at your first job after returning to work; the court will use this figure as a basis for calculating your alimony amount.

Money Will Be Tight, Even If You Return to the Workforce

Even with alimony and a new job, money is always tight after divorce.  If the court awards you the marital home, as it probably will if the children spend the majority of their time with you, you may need to refinance the mortgage.  Many recently divorced people need to take out personal loans from the bank, or even borrow from relatives; this is especially common among mothers who have recently returned to work after divorce.  One day, you and your children will look back on the frugal times you spent together and with your extended family as fond memories.

Complaining to Your Children About Your Ex-Husband Is the Worst Mistake You Can Make

No matter how stressed you are about living on a tight budget while your ex-husband is splurging money on dates with his new girlfriend, your children are not the audience for it.  Speaking negatively to your children about your ex-spouse can only make you look bad before the court and can help your ex’s case if he tries to petition the court to increase his parenting time.

Contact Schwartz | White About Divorce After Stay-at-Home Parenting

A South Florida family law attorney can help you adjust to a new life as a working mother who must co-parent your children with your ex-husband.  Contact Schwartz | White in Boca Raton, Florida about your case.

Source:

equitablemediation.com/blog/stay-at-home-mom-divorce