The answer to this question depends on a variety of factors. The most important thing to remember is that a judge will look at the ability of each spouse to support themselves in the future.
This means that the courts will take into account the possibility of the wife having a hard time finding work in the future and will not award alimony until she can prove that she has a chance to find work.
Do You Have a Case?
When it comes to divorce, the answer to whether or not a working wife has a chance at getting her fair share of marital assets can be rather complex. As such, the court will likely take into account a variety of factors in determining alimony payments including but not limited to your spouse’s income, work history and financial goals. Fortunately, there are many advocacies that can be put to good use to help you reach your post-divorce goal of financial stability and happiness. The key is to be open and honest about your situation so that you can get the most out of the process. It all starts with a free consultation with an experienced family law attorney to discuss your case in more detail.
Do You Have a Chance?
Whether or not a working wife can get alimony depends on a number of factors. Judges look at the length of the marriage, the spouses’ earning power, and the needs of each individual party.
If one spouse stayed home during the marriage to take care of children, then that person has a stronger chance of getting alimony than if they went to college and never worked.
The court will also consider the earnings potential of the stay-at-home spouse if they get back into the workforce. For example, if one spouse was a doctor during the marriage but never worked outside of the home, the stay-at-home spouse will likely receive alimony.
However, once a divorced couple gets alimony, it usually doesn’t last forever. Alimony can be terminated by the paying spouse proving that their income has decreased to such an extent that it would not be fair or financially beneficial for them to continue paying alimony.
Do You Have a Chance for Rehabilitative Alimony?
In many marriages, one spouse takes on the primary caretaker role, and the other stays home with children or pursues a career. This arrangement is very common despite gains women have made in the workplace, putting a nonworking wife at a serious disadvantage when a marriage fails.
In these cases, a court may award rehabilitative alimony to provide support to help the spouse become self-supporting by a specific time period. This type of alimony is meant to allow a spouse to go through training or education that will lead to job skills and/or employment.
Do You Have a Chance for Temporary Alimony?
If you’re a wife and your husband has been working all of the time, you might have a chance to get temporary alimony. The support helps you to make ends meet while your divorce case is pending.
A judge may also order rehabilitative or limited alimony, which is aimed at helping a spouse with no job skills to develop those. It’s a good idea to talk with an attorney about this.
Rehabilitative alimony is typically awarded for a specific period of time and can be terminated by the court or the recipient party, depending on their ability to find a new job. This type of support is most common for spouses who have been homemakers and require further education or training to re-enter the workforce.
Do You Have a Chance for Permanent Alimony?
In many states, permanent alimony has been replaced by rehabilitative alimony and limited duration alimony. These types of alimony awards are intended to help a dependent spouse achieve employment skills and become self-supporting.
Often, these type of alimony payments are awarded when the supporting spouse has been out of the workforce for a long time, such as in cases where a stay at home wife is raising children or taking care of an aging parent.
