Sep 23, 2014

Alimony used to be known as something men paid to women after a divorce. However, this is changing with the new trend of more men seeking and receiving alimony.

Part of this trend is due to the fact that more men are finding less shame in accepting a monthly payment from their ex-wife. Since 2006, the percentage of men receiving alimony has risen by over 3.5%.

Another big reason for this change is the fact that more women are becoming the larger earner in the household. The stay-at-home-dad has become more common and about one-third of households have a wife out-earning the husband. This is up nearly 30% over the past ten years.

Why are Men Seeking Alimony?

There are many reasons for men trying to get alimony payments. The top reasons include:

• Men are sacrificing their own careers to allow their wives to have a career. More often than before, men are putting their wives career needs ahead of their own.
• Men often use alimony as way to reach a better divorce settlement agreement, overall. Alimony can become a powerful tool to use against a wife not interested in writing a monthly check. It has been used a leverage to allow the man to get what he wants out of the divorce, such as a second home or a larger portion of the retirement account.
• Men often seek alimony because they decide to stay home with the kids. Sometimes, the woman has a more stable job, with better benefits and it makes more sense for the man to stay home.

No longer do the courts view alimony in the eyes of just a man paying a woman. It's more about which one is the primary breadwinner and if it's by enough money to warrant the need for the woman or the man to pay the other alimony.