Does Post Separation Support Reflect Alimony payments later?

[tyandi]

What is the name of your state? NC
My wife is taking me to court to establish post separation support. However my attorney feels that since I am making our CC debt payments, and her the mortgage, it's a wash. She works part time, has not needed a penny from me in almost a year becasue her parents are "babying" her but she wants me to pay her $1500 a month for ten years.
My question is if it's determined that I pay no PSS, how will that affect the Alimony? Will my alimony payments be high? low? zero?

Yes, in this state Alimony is required for what I did.

Question 2 - If I have no money left over at the end of the month, and sometimes have to put groceries on the credit card, and my wife has not needed any money from me, would a judge order me to pay? Even though it can be proven that I have ZERO money at the end of every month?

Thanks

 

[tyandi]

Please help!

Does anyone have a comment? Please?

 

[LdiJ]

Does anyone have a comment? Please?

Its time for you to downsize.

 

[tyandi]

Been there done that

I don't know what more to do. I had to get a 1 bedroom apt, she has the 3 bedroom house. I have our marital CC debt, property taxes. I spend about $200 for food a month, eat beans, don't have a home phone??

She bought a $1500 Labradoodle puppy, spent $3000 in 3 weeks, what gives? She drives the 2004 paid for Volkswagan, I drive an paid for SUV with 90,000 miles.

Where can I downsize? She doesn't work, and receives $$ from her parents.

??

 

[weenor]

I don't know what more to do. I had to get a 1 bedroom apt, she has the 3 bedroom house. I have our marital CC debt, property taxes. I spend about $200 for food a month, eat beans, don't have a home phone??

She bought a $1500 Labradoodle puppy, spent $3000 in 3 weeks, what gives? She drives the 2004 paid for Volkswagan, I drive an paid for SUV with 90,000 miles.

Where can I downsize? She doesn't work, and receives $$ from her parents.

??

Most of this is irrelevant. An Alimony award will depend on "what you did", the length of the marriage, whether she worked outside of the home during marriage etc. . .If your attorney is negotiating with her that tells me that the attorney feels the judge may award alimony. If your lucky the judge will agree that the credit card debt is enough for you to have to pay.

 

[Bali Hai]

Does anyone have a comment? Please?

Yes several actually, but you wouldn't care to hear them.

 

[CJane]

I spend about $200 for food a month

How many people are you feeding???? I'm raising three kids, and I just went to the grocery store today and spent $138. I bought so much food that I couldn't even put it all away, and probably won't have to go to the store for more than milk and odds and ends for at least 2 months, probably closer to 3.

 

[Bali Hai]

How many people are you feeding???? I'm raising three kids, and I just went to the grocery store today and spent $138. I bought so much food that I couldn't even put it all away, and probably won't have to go to the store for more than milk and odds and ends for at least 2 months, probably closer to 3.

And your legal point is?

If the judge is a fat @ss who eats alot, OP may have to pay even more??

 

[CJane]

And your legal point is?

If the judge is a fat @ss who eats alot, OP may have to pay even more??

Considering I wasn't responding to a legal question, unless asking how he could possibly downsize is a legal question, I don't think a legal point is required.

The legal point, I suppose, would be that the judge could give a rat's behind if OP can't continue spending an insane amount of money on groceries.

 

[TheShortEnd]

How many people are you feeding???? I'm raising three kids, and I just went to the grocery store today and spent $138. I bought so much food that I couldn't even put it all away, and probably won't have to go to the store for more than milk and odds and ends for at least 2 months, probably closer to 3.

No disrespect intended. But where are you shopping, and what are you feeding those kids? $138 in groceries is going to last you close to 3 months? I spend more than that in meat alone in a month!

 

[stealth2]

I can see (maybe) spending that on (food) staples for a month or so. But when I add in milk, fresh veggies and meat? And pet food? Sheee-eeet! I spend half that much feeding three dogs for a month! Hmmm.... maybe the kids could eat it, too. But honestly - no way could I feed a football playing teen and a field hockey playing tween for ~$200/mo. Not properly, anyway.

 

[CJane]

No disrespect intended. But where are you shopping, and what are you feeding those kids? $138 in groceries is going to last you close to 3 months? I spend more than that in meat alone in a month!

I was at Hy-Vee yesterday... don't know how nationwide that chain is though, so I don't know if that actually tells you anything. They're not a 'cheap' grocery store though.

Let's see... I bought 7 boxes of 'instant breakfast', 6 boxes of instant oatmeal and 2 containers of grits. That's 166 breakfasts, right there. Then I also bought baking mix since I make most of our biscuits, rolls, breads etc instead of buying them. I bought tons of canned fruits and veggies and applesauce. I picked up some of the Betty Crocker ready meals things for those nights I don't feel like actually cooking. I bought 10 lbs of rice, since that's our carb of choice most of the time. I bought several cans of 100% fruit juice, some lemonade mix, 8 6-packs of flavored bottled water for the kids to pack in their lunches for school. I bought lunch meat and cheese, a couple of chickens and some ground beef, a package of pork chops that were marked down, and a bag of frozen skinless boneless breast meat.

Since the kids only eat breakfast here 5 mornings a week, and 2 of those I cook eggs or pancakes or waffles or whatever, the 'quick breakfasts' last will last us 27 weeks. I have enough fruits and veggies to last at least 2 months.

They pack 3 lunches a week here. So those 48 bottles of water will last us 8 weeks.

Muffin mixes were on sale 2/$1, so I bought 17 mixes.

We'll have to go to the local grocery for things like milk and eggs, I'm sure. And I didn't include cat and dog food, but I get the urinary tract formula cat food for $3/4lbs at the Dollar General store and 4lbs lasts the cat well over a week. The dog food runs me around $9-$10/month. I pay $70/month for hay for my horses - they cost more to feed than my kids.

 

[CJane]

I can see (maybe) spending that on (food) staples for a month or so. But when I add in milk, fresh veggies and meat? And pet food? Sheee-eeet! I spend half that much feeding three dogs for a month! Hmmm.... maybe the kids could eat it, too. But honestly - no way could I feed a football playing teen and a field hockey playing tween for ~$200/mo. Not properly, anyway.

Well, yeah. But my kids are 6, 9 and 8 months. They're not eating like monsters yet.

And, that's why I asked how many people this guy was feeding on that $200/month. His posts sound as if he lives alone. Could you imagine spending $200/month on YOURSELF in groceries? Not feeding your kids or your pets, but just you. Doesn't that seem insanely excessive?

 

[CandiceH]

Since we are "off topic", I have seen several consumer nutritional programs in regards to shopping and consumption. To eat the required amounts posted by the FDA, it would cost approx $58 per person. per week. This is based on adult consumption. So. $200 per month sounds about right. Also, when I filed Chapter 13 bankruptcy years ago, the amount for groceries was specified in the budget at $163 per month per person in the household. Seems excessive doesnt it?

 

[CJane]

Since we are "off topic", I have seen several consumer nutritional programs in regards to shopping and consumption. To eat the required amounts posted by the FDA, it would cost approx $58 per person. per week. This is based on adult consumption. So. $200 per month sounds about right. Also, when I filed Chapter 13 bankruptcy years ago, the amount for groceries was specified in the budget at $163 per month per person in the household. Seems excessive doesnt it?

I was on food stamps very briefly awhile back. My allotted amount, given the # of people in my household, was almost $500/month... this was for 4 people. I nearly choked, but decided to see if I could spend that much money on groceries. It was WORK. I bought extravagant crap... gourmet ice creams, muchies, soda, expensive cuts of steak, name brand everything, premade juices and lemonades instead of mixes/cans, etc. I provided all of the meat at a family (45 people) bbq that month too... and I only managed to spend $470. Weird as it sounds, it was frustrating, and I declined the program after that.

Granted, I'm not feeding 3 adults, as stealth is, but $500/month for a family of 4 is crazy.