What Happens When the Stay-at-Home Mom Dream Falls Apart?
Several decades ago, divorce laws assumed that in most couples going through a divorce, the husband had employment income, but the wife did not; that was why alimony awards were the rule rather than the exception, and they tended to last for a long time, usually until one of the former spouses died or the former wife remarried, whichever happened first. Today, it is common for both spouses to work full-time, and because of this, many divorce cases involve no alimony, or alimony awards of a short duration. When only one spouse has employment income, it can be for a variety of reasons. Perhaps both spouses want to work, but because of labor market conditions, only one of them has found full-time employment; in other cases, the non-working spouse refuses to seek employment, or it was the working spouse’s idea for the other spouse to leave the workforce and devote more time to family responsibilities. No matter the reasons, if you were not employed and you relied on your spouse financially during your marriage, it is a shock to find out that your spouse wants a divorce, and you face an uphill battle toward financial stability. Your best hope for getting a fair divorce settlement that will stave off financial ruin is to contact a Boca Raton divorce lawyer.
Rely on Family and Friends for Emotional Support, but Ask the Court for a Status Quo Order
If you are a stay-at-home parent and you know that your marriage has no future, you can at least start slowly. You can start looking for jobs and not file for divorce until you have found a stable job. You can ask your parents to open a bank account for you, or you can plan to move in with them after you move out of the marital home.
If your spouse initiates the divorce, you are up a creek without a paddle, at least at first. Your first step should be to consult a divorce lawyer and strategize. Your lawyer can help you write a response to your spouse’s divorce petition, outlining your requests for a fair share of marital property, and if applicable, enough alimony to sustain you until you are established in a new job. Then you can talk to relatives and friends who have been in a similar situation and learn from their experiences.
Meanwhile, if your spouse divorces you in a fit of anger or mid-life crisis impulsiveness and blocks your access to bank accounts and credit courts, you can petition the court for a court order that will require your spouse to maintain your current financial situation while the divorce case is pending. This can take the form of a status quo order, pendente lite alimony, or both.
Contact Schwartz | White About Divorce Cases Where Only One Spouse Is in the Workforce
A South Florida family law attorney can help you with the legal aspects of your divorce if you did not have employment income during your marriage. Contact Schwartz | White in Boca Raton, Florida about your case.
Source:
dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15399483/Stay-home-mom-37-issues-dire-PSA-moms-husband-suddenly-filed-divorce-no-money.html
