Tag Archive for: stay-at-home mom

Seeking Spousal Support for Stay-at-Home Moms

Going through a divorce as a stay-at-home mom can be stress-inducing. How will you afford to stay home and care for your kids without your partner’s income supporting the family? 

Stay-at-home moms often qualify for spousal support or alimony in Bucks County divorce cases. But how much alimony can a stay-at-home mom receive, and how long does this benefit last? Here is what you need to know. 

How Long Do Alimony Payments Continue for Stay-at-Home Parents? 

In Pennsylvania, the court determines the amount and duration of alimony awarded to a stay-at-home parent on a case-by-case basis. A judge would consider the receiving spouse’s financial need and income potential, among many other factors.

However, alimony is often awarded for just three years, which can place financial hardship on stay-at-home parents and seem unfair. Working with an experienced divorce attorney can help you support your need for alimony and seek a fair payment duration. 

How Stay-at-Home Parents Can Prove a Need for Spousal Support

How much alimony you can receive as a stay-at-home mom depends on your financial needs, among other factors. Your divorce attorney can help you support a need for sufficient alimony by presenting a loss of income potential. 

Perhaps you left your career to stay home with the children. Or maybe you never started a career because you had kids at a young age. Your role as a stay-at-home parent can significantly affect your earning potential for some time. You may face challenges finding gainful employment, or you may be unable to work outside the home due to your role as your children’s caretaker. 

Your attorney can help you quantify the value of the care you provide for your children and factor in your loss of income potential to determine a fair spousal support amount. Often, the goal of spousal support is to help the receiving partner maintain a similar standard of living while they pursue financial independence. 

Other Options for Stay-at-Home Parents Facing Financial Dependency in a Divorce

While some marriages lead to a need for permanent spousal support in divorce, the court often prefers to award this benefit only for the amount of time necessary for the recipient to successfully reenter the workforce. Creating a plan for reentry can help you feel more confident facing the financial changes that arise during divorce. 

You might consider:

  • Taking online classes to work toward a degree
  • Seeking career coaching
  • Being open to different types of work that may allow for flexibility with childcare
  • Sharing child custody with your spouse to give you the opportunity to work part-time

In the divorce, you might request that the judge award you more marital assets to help make up for your financial needs. Taking a lump sum in the divorce settlement may sometimes be a good idea to give you a financial cushion. 

Seek Guidance and Support From a Divorce Attorney

At Karen Ann Ulmer, P.C., we often represent stay-at-home parents during the divorce process. We can help you understand how much alimony you might receive and advocate for your rights and interests throughout your divorce case. 

Contact us today at (866) 349-4117 for a confidential consultation.

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Divorce and the Stay-at-Home Mom: 7 Immediate Must-Dos

If you’re facing divorce after you dedicated years to staying home and raising your children, you need to act quickly to protect yourself and your children. Follow these important steps:

 

1. Find an expert in Family Law and Mediation who can help you protect your financial future as well as negotiate arrangements that will be best for the children. You don’t know which direction your divorce will take. You may be able to settle amicably and mediate child support and visitation that’s agreeable to both of you… and you may not. You need a lawyer who is committed to settling out of court if possible but is capable of winning in court if necessary.

 

2. Make copies of all important financial documents – tax forms, bank statements, bills. Your lawyer will need these to make sure you get a fair division of assets as well as sufficient child support and spousal support.

 

3. Create a list of tangible assets that are important to you for the settlement. Consider, too, the value of your house and the expense of maintaining it (including taxes). For many people, downsizing is the best option – it frees up cash, decreases expenses, and helps you start over again without painful memories. But every situation is different. Discuss with your lawyer and a divorce financial analyst.

 

4. Protect current assets and create a personal bank account. Talk to your lawyer about freezing assets in a joint account to prevent your husband from withdrawing everything and leaving you penniless. Also discuss how you can create a stash of cash in your own name to hold you over until the divorce is settled.

 

5. Consider getting a job. This is tricky for the stay-at-home mom, because if your husband is currently out of work or quit his job and you take a minimum-wage job to keep the roof over your head, you could be considered the breadwinner. But if your husband is still gainfully employed, a part-time job may give you the funds you need until settlement.

 

6. Consider if/when you will go back to work after the divorce and what you need to do to prepare. If your divorce has to go to court, the judge will consider the age and health of your children, the years of marriage, and your skills to determine if you should be expected to return to work and when. Prepare now for that likelihood by looking at online courses you could take to brush up on your skills and make you more marketable.

 

7. Have someone to talk to. This is a very stressful time, but with help, you can do it. Your lawyer will work to give you the best settlement you can get, but he or she is not a therapist. You may need a professional counselor or a support group who will give you the strength and support you need to get you to the other side. Consider a counselor for your children as well.

 

There are other things you need to do, but these are the most immediate. If you’re a stay-at-home mom getting divorced in PA, contact us at The Legal and Mediation Services of Karen Ann Ulmer, Attorneys at Law to see how we can guide you through these and other important steps you need to take to protect yourself and your children.


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