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Our father lost his job and stopped paying alimony - can he do this?

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Elizabeth128

Junior Member
What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? NC/IL

My brother and I don't know what to do. Our parents divorced in NC ten years ago and our mother returned to her hometown in IL. Our dad has always paid alimony but lost his job last Fall and this week, sent a letter to our mother saying he had filed for his retirement benefits and included a copy of the divorce papers highlighting the section that says once he is unemployed and has filed for retirement that he no longer entitled to pay for her. Although our mother works full time at a minimium wage job, losing alimony will devastate her financially. Although we have always tried to remain neutral, this new development has us angry and frustrated. We feel our dad (he's 56) is voluntarily retiring (and letting his new wife support him) to stop paying alimony (which he's always complained about) and our mother may have to take on a second job on top of the 50+ hours she works now to make ends meet. The divorce contract sounds fair (my mother let my dad's attorney write it up for both of them to avoid paying legal fees) but I can't imagine he can get out of alimony this easy. Any advice?
 
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juke

Member
Your mother has been divorced for TEN YEARS and all she does is work part time, minimum wage?

Or does she work 50+ hours per week?

"Although our mother works part time at a minimium wage job, losing alimony will devastate her financially. (SNIP) ... and our mother may have to take on a second job on top of the 50+ hours she works now to make ends meet."
 
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VeronicaGia

Senior Member
Elizabeth128 said:
What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? NC/IL

My brother and I don't know what to do. Our parents divorced in NC ten years ago and our mother returned to her hometown in IL. Our dad has always paid alimony but lost his job last Fall and this week, sent a letter to our mother saying he had filed for his retirement benefits and included a copy of the divorce papers highlighting the section that says once he is unemployed and has filed for retirement that he no longer entitled to pay for her. Although our mother works full time at a minimium wage job, losing alimony will devastate her financially. Although we have always tried to remain neutral, this new development has us angry and frustrated. We feel our dad (he's 56) is voluntarily retiring (and letting his new wife support him) to stop paying alimony (which he's always complained about) and our mother may have to take on a second job on top of the 50+ hours she works now to make ends meet. The divorce contract sounds fair (my mother let my dad's attorney write it up for both of them to avoid paying legal fees) but I can't imagine he can get out of alimony this easy. Any advice?
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First, you shouldn't get involved. Second, she's been collecting for 10 years now. She really should have been going to school or something to better herself.

Since you may not know the exact wording of the order, it is better if you stay out of it. If it is worded as you said above, there may be nothing she can do about it. She accepted this fact 10 years ago, she has to live with it now.
 
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nextwife

Senior Member
I'm 50 myself and work Full Time AND raise a 7 year old daughter. As VG said, there have been 10 years gone by that Mom should have been trying to get a job that pays better than minumum wage. I'm 50 and I'd sure never sit still for an employer paying me so little. Why hasn't she gone beyond a minimum wage job in an entire decade of post marital employment?

If the divorce degree states he pays alimony until retirement, with no retirement age specified, then he is entitled to retire when his employer offers it.

"We feel our dad (he's 56) is ..... letting his new wife support him"

So one spouse having the other spouse support them is an unacceptable concept? Did dad not work a whole lot of years to support/help support mom already?
 
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