More men seek alimony from their ex-spouse

Readers of this blog and those going through a divorce may know how difficult the process can be. Yet, even once marriage dissolution is finalized, financial issues may arise. Children must still be cared for and everyday expenses must be paid. For this reason, it is imperative a divorcing party seeks a resolution that protects his or her financial interests. Amongst these is alimony.

Though alimony is often thought of as being paid by men and received by women, the table is starting to turn. Despite the fact that the 2010 Census showed only 3 percent of the 400,000 alimony recipients in this country were men, divorce lawyers are seeing an uptick in the number of women who are paying spousal support. Some experts believe the increase is linked to the increase of women breadwinners and higher numbers of stat-at-home dads.

Some men may feel ashamed to seek spousal support, but they should not. In today’s modern economy, men and women alike sacrifice their own careers to take care of the family and to support their spouse’s economic and career goals. When these sacrifices are made, they should be compensated for once the marriage ends. Perhaps the only way to achieve this is to seek alimony.

A Central Massachusetts Family Law Attorney can help a divorcing party seek the compensation he or she deserves. This goal may be reached through negotiations with the other side, or it may be attained through legal argument in front of a judge. Either way, the fight is worth waging. Alimony allows an individual to start his or her new life on a solid financial foundation with the stability needed to move on past the divorce.

Source: Reuters, “More Men Get Alimony From Their Ex-Wives,” Dec. 24, 2013