The shattering of the glass ceiling allows many women to continue to narrow the income gap, which has resulted in some unforeseen consequences, particularly when it comes to divorce. Also, with the current economic situation in California, many formerly well paid men find themselves jobless. The burden then falls to the wife and she then provides most, if not all, of the family income. Family law courts are seeing a rise in men requesting spousal support from their wives, whose jobs may not be as severely affected by this recession.
In the past, men were rarely the recipient’s of spousal support. For years, the spousal support system has favored women, who are often the lower-paid individual in a two-income household. The rise in the number of women entering the higher-paying fields has started to change this. Spousal support laws are gender-neutral, and women with high-paying jobs may be in for a surprise if they end up in divorce proceedings.
Courts consider the extent to which each spouse’s earning capacity is sufficient to maintain the marital standard of living when looking at who should pay alimony, and in what amount. Taking into account a long list of factors including the supported spouse’s ability to work outside the home and still protect the interests of any dependent children in his or her custody.
While many men would not consider or accept spousal support, there are a growing number of men who either cannot find work, recognize their former spouse’s financial abilities, and therefore elect to receive spousal support. The courts often view a spouse’s general lack of initiative differently from those caught by economic circumstances, but a judge may grant spousal support to a man who has grown accustomed to a certain lifestyle afforded by his wife’s employment.
If you have a question regarding Family Law in California please contact us at (818) 926-4420 or visit the Family Law section on our website at Law Offices of Anat Resnik. Call today and we will connect you with Anat Resnik, an experienced, aggressive, affordable Divorce and Family Law Attorney in California. After you have spoken with our California Family Law attorney, we can schedule you a free face to face appointment to discuss your circumstances. If you have questions or are considering any aspect of filing for Divorce, a Paternity issues, Child Custody and Visitation, Spousal Support & Alimony, etc. we can help! Call us now at(818) 926-4420. We look forward to hearing from you and assisting you with any and all family law needs.
