As a man in an unusual situation, it’s important that you understand alimony. You may have been a stay-at-home father, or perhaps you put your career on hold for your spouse. Whatever the reasons were, if you’re not where you wanted to be in your career, alimony is one way that your spouse can make up for that.
Generally, spouses get approximately a year of maintenance for every two years of marriage, according to divorce attorneys in New York City. That may not be the case everywhere, though. Alimony is decided on a case-by-case basis.
Alimony is determined based on the lifestyle you lead during your marriage. If you spent thousands on vacations, nights out on the town and buying expensive vacation homes, then the court considers those expenses when determining how much alimony you should receive as the lower-earning spouse.
One thing to remember if you do receive alimony is to spend it wisely. When you’re in a relationship with your spouse, you may spend freely, knowing that more money is coming. The trouble with alimony is that it does eventually end in most situations. Spending like you did in marriage could end up landing you in debt after divorce.
Remember that alimony is there to support you while you get your life on track. Whether that means purchasing a home or going back to school is up to you. The best thing to do, though, is to invest in your future, not to rely on your past to protect you moving forward. Regardless of your gender, alimony is there to help you, and you deserve a change to collect it.
Source: Huffington POst, “The Biggest Mistake Women Make With Alimony,” Jill Brooke, accessed Nov. 30, 2017
