Hypothetical spousal support Q

[bobdobalina]

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

Hey everybody,

Let's say a guy finds himself in the midst of a divorce and he makes a lot more than his wife. What would keep him from quitting his job to go to school in a foreign country, perhaps one with an extremely low cost of living and no job prospects, particularly for a foreigner? Would the court see this as attempting to dodge spousal support? If so, how would they respond? Impute income based on his previous work history and stick him with the same payments if he had been working?

Caveat: I'm not seriously thinking about doing this, but just wondering "what if?"

Thanks!

BD

[nextwife]

How LONG was the marriage? There may not even be a spousal support entitlement.

[bobdobalina]

In my case, 6.5 years. I think there will be spousal support for ~3 years maybe, for perhaps somewhere around $1500 a month.

But, let's just assume there will be. If I left the country to get a masters degree where the living is cheap, and I had zero income, what would the court say about that?

Speaking purely hypothetically, of course.

[IsabellaSoriano]

Originally Posted by bobdobalina

In my case, 6.5 years. I think there will be spousal support for ~3 years maybe, for perhaps somewhere around $1500 a month.

But, let's just assume there will be. If I left the country to get a masters degree where the living is cheap, and I had zero income, what would the court say about that?

Speaking purely hypothetically, of course.

i'm thinking more along the lines of temp support until the divorce is final. whatever you do, don't leave until those divorce papers are signed!!!

[Proserpina]

Originally Posted by bobdobalina

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

Hey everybody,

Let's say a guy finds himself in the midst of a divorce and he makes a lot more than his wife. What would keep him from quitting his job to go to school in a foreign country, perhaps one with an extremely low cost of living and no job prospects, particularly for a foreigner? Would the court see this as attempting to dodge spousal support? If so, how would they respond? Impute income based on his previous work history and stick him with the same payments if he had been working?

Caveat: I'm not seriously thinking about doing this, but just wondering "what if?"

Thanks!

BD

Let's assume that you've chosen to go to school in Johannesburg (for sake of argument you're studying post-grad pathology at the University Of The Witwatersrand, k?), which has an unemployment rate of around 34%, and average cost of living less than half of that of the US. South Africa generally will not enforce a non-domestic support order so you're fairly safe in that respect.

Sooo....

I would think you'd be imputed an income based upon your most recent US earnings and it would apply for the duration of your schooling. Once you get back to the US - with your sparkly new degree - you'll have those arrears to deal with.

(on the plus side you'll also have a much higher chance of being employed by NCIS and getting knee deep in internal organs with that quintessentially British medical expert, Ducky)

(and if you did I'd be so insanely jealous I would be leaking green....)

[bobdobalina]

Ah, I guess indentured servitude is alive and well in the good ol' US of A.

Your plan sounds tempting, but I was thinking more along the lines of SE Asia, where the beer is cheap and the women are cheaper.

I keed, I keed.

[jesslee83]

Originally Posted by Dogmatique

(on the plus side you'll also have a much higher chance of being employed by NCIS and getting knee deep in internal organs with that quintessentially British medical expert, Ducky)

(and if you did I'd be so insanely jealous I would be leaking green....)

Originally Posted by bobdobalina

Your plan sounds tempting, but I was thinking more along the lines of SE Asia, where the beer is cheap and the women are cheaper.
I keed, I keed.

omg...i'm not sure who has the best imagination, or who's more in touch with reality, lmao!

[Proserpina]

Originally Posted by jesslee83

omg...i'm not sure who has the best imagination, or who's more in touch with reality, lmao!

Oy! Some of us do have links to South Africa and perhaps one or two West African nations too, y'know

(and also I used to live in a really dodgy part of Pennsylvania - not far from Philly - where apparently for $20 you could get cheap beer, even cheaper women and still have enough leftover for a cheesesteak...)



(but that whole reality thing? bob has me beat there. Hands down. So to speak. Ahem!)