Alimony?!?!?!?!

[boobala22]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA

ok i'm posting this for my mom cause she doesn't know how to go about any of this or what course of action she should take...

here is the basic rundown of the situation...

my parents were living together for 24 years...they've been married for 23 years...he walked out on her on Oct. 1 of this year and had a new woman on Oct. 2...what can she estimate alimony may be...she is currently unemployed due to how the economy is...yes my dad paid for pretty much everything but my mom, over the course of 24 years, has been a stay at home mom...she made sure all the bills were paid, raised us kids, and played my dad's seceratary...she has heard so many different things...it would just be nice to know for sure the info...such as a rough estimate of what she may get and for how long...it would be greatly appreciated if you could help!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ohiogal]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA

ok i'm posting this for my mom cause she doesn't know how to go about any of this or what course of action she should take...

here is the basic rundown of the situation...

my parents were living together for 24 years...they've been married for 23 years...he walked out on her on Oct. 1 of this year and had a new woman on Oct. 2...what can she estimate alimony may be...she is currently unemployed due to how the economy is...yes my dad paid for pretty much everything but my mom, over the course of 24 years, has been a stay at home mom...she made sure all the bills were paid, raised us kids, and played my dad's seceratary...she has heard so many different things...it would just be nice to know for sure the info...such as a rough estimate of what she may get and for how long...it would be greatly appreciated if you could help!!!!!!!!!!!

Nowhere near enough information. What does mom earn when she is working? HOw long was she working? What was she doing before unemployed? What does dad earn? How many minor children are there?

 

[LdiJ]

Nowhere near enough information. What does mom earn when she is working? HOw long was she working? What was she doing before unemployed? What does dad earn? How many minor children are there?

Also, how old are your parents? What kind of educational background does your mother have? How long ago did she get that education?

Alimony is not a set figure. Its a calculation based on many different variables, and no two cases are alike.

 

[nextwife]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA
here is the basic rundown of the situation...
my parents were living together for 24 years...they've been married for 23 years... !

Also, what is her age now? They were together almost 50 years? So they must be in the 70's by now?

She will be eligible for SS retirement at the appropriate age based on Dad's work credits if she does not remarry.

Marital assets and marital debt gets split. Non co-mingled premarital assets belong to whomever brought them to the marriage.

What sort if INCOME does dad have now? And are any of the children still minors? Available income is also a factor in any alimony award. There's a big difference between someone earning 5000/mo and earning 2000 mo as to potential outcome for mom.

Based on their ages, it might be that alimony is unneccessary, as they each would be living on retirement income, and she'd get a marital share of his, plus SS.

 

[Ohiogal]

From the other thread

well lets see my mom is 49 and my dad is 58...there is one minor child in the house but she is 17 and will be 18 in april...i know she'll get some kind of back child support for my sister...my mom worked sporradically throughout the past 24 years and altogether i would say she has about 4 years of work experience...bad i know...my dad makes approximately $4,000 a month...i think that's all the info you guys were asking for...if not i'll add to this

Well when does the 17 year old graduate? Your mother needs to get a job. She will probably get child support IF she gets custody of the 17 year old. Depends on how long the divorce lasts. Your dad will most likely pay some alimony temporarily depending on debt distribution as well as the property settlement if any. What does your mom do in her senior years?

 

[nextwife]

What does your mom do in her senior years?

Hey there OG! 49 is no way SR Years!

It's way, way younger than that. We mid 50 plus consider ourselves YOUNG. I just learned a whole new job this year. So don't imply a mere 49 is TOO old or senior!

 

[Ohiogal]

Hey there OG! 49 is no way SR Years!

It's way, way younger than that. We mid 50 plus consider ourselves YOUNG. I just learned a whole new job this year. So don't imply a mere 49 is TOO old or senior!

Sorry. Left out the words "plan to" -- as in plan to do in her senior years (i.e. retirement and how to support herself then). Thta was a major typo and NOT meant to state anything. My parents are only approaching their second half and I don't consider them seniors. They are still middle age.

 

[boobala22]

well she is working on getting a job its just a difficult time to do...i mean i have way more work experience in several different fields and i can't even find a job...but anyways...my sister graduates in june of next year

 

[candg918]

Your father is 8 years from SS full retirement and only 4 years from early retirement. Your mother is 17 or 18 years from SS full retirement and 14 or 15 years from early retirement. The monthly check your father will get will not support him much less than the two of them. In situations like this where one member of a couple is significantly older than the other, the younger works to augment the older member's retirement income. Everyone in this divorce should take that into consideration.

 

[LdiJ]

well she is working on getting a job its just a difficult time to do...i mean i have way more work experience in several different fields and i can't even find a job...but anyways...my sister graduates in june of next year

You might want to consider urging your mother to go back to school so that she can train for a career that will support her. At a minimum she should get some amount of short term alimony, and that, combined with student loans and grants, and perhaps part time work, should enable her to do that.

 

[nextwife]

Your father is 8 years from SS full retirement and only 4 years from early retirement. Your mother is 17 or 18 years from SS full retirement and 14 or 15 years from early retirement. The monthly check your father will get will not support him much less than the two of them. In situations like this where one member of a couple is significantly older than the other, the younger works to augment the older member's retirement income. Everyone in this divorce should take that into consideration.

Yup, that's what usually happens. In virtually every couple we know in which he's older and retiring, she works to make up the difference.