Traditionally when a couple divorces in Sarasota, a judge awards the wife alimony and in the state of Florida, the award could be for life. Also known as spousal support, the amount of money a spouse is ordered to pay to the other is determined by a number of factors which include the length of the marriage, the income of each spouse, the earning potential of the spouse asking for financial support and the financial situation of the spouses.
However, more wives in Florida are likely being ordered to pay alimony to their husbands as part of the divorce settlement as the gender roles in marriage are no longer clear-cut. In some cases, wives have gained more education than their husbands and therefore make significantly higher paychecks. These ex-spouses are now finding themselves in the same position as husbands, being ordered to provide financial support for ex-husbands and they are not too happy about it.
It is estimated that 60 percent of husbands are out-earned by their working spouses and this means that men are able to successfully request and receive spousal support when the marriage falls apart.
With the shifting roles of husbands and wives, divorce legal issues can get complicated when the wife is the one making the majority of the money. Currently, laws relating to financial support for spouses apply to husbands too and this can mean that ex-wives are ordered to pay for the support of their ex-husbands. When someone is going through a complicated divorce, it can be helpful to speak with an experienced attorney for legal advice.
Source: TIME, “The De-Gendering of Divorce: Wives Pay Ex-Husbands Alimony Too,” Liza Mundy, May 16, 2013
