Most people, including those in Georgia, Georgia, anticipate that married women are awarded alimony in the event of a divorce. This mindset may not be surprising since traditionally, men worked and women stayed home with the children, putting their careers on hold.
However, many women now balance their career and role in the household. For this reason, there are divorce cases where the husband ends up receiving spousal support from his ex-wife.
In fact, divorce attorneys in the U.S. have seen an upward trend of husbands requesting alimonyfrom their former spouses. In 2010, census records stated that of the 400,000 alimony recipients, 3 percent were men receiving spousal support. The American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers also surveyed 1,600 members. Of those respondents, 47 percent stated that they have noticed a rise in the number of women paying alimony to their spouses.
For example, a 50-year-old man who owns a small business had no doubt that the court would award him alimony. In February 2012, the man's divorce was finalized and the man's ex-wife was ordered to pay him alimony. His former spouse is an orthopedic surgeon who is very successful in her career.
However, there are women who feel reluctant about paying alimony to their ex-husbands. Experts noted that explaining to both divorcing parties the potential impact of divorce to the low-income spouse might make a difference.
According to experts, the trend of an increasing number of men asking for or receiving alimony began quite a while ago. Nowadays, more women are earning more than their husbands and more fathers are staying at home. This may also show that gender bias in divorce and alimony is not such an issue anymore.
Nobody enjoys supporting their ex-spouse through alimony. Regardless, the significance of alimony in a Georgia divorce depends on the calculations and guidelines followed in the state. The income and financial status of each party are among the factors considered in an alimony determination.