What if spouse refuses to work?

Few_Strawberry_99 · 2024-10-13T01:22:41+00:00

I’m going through the exact same situation, except that genders are reversed (husband stopped working to discourage me from divorcing him because that’d require me to pay him a significant alimony). I think there’s a concept of imputed income that can be applied here. But he’s an attorney and he’s also saying that he’s going to go on disability because then they can’t impute his income. I’m still trying to figure out the solution to all of this, but sadly the best bet is hoping for a moment/day/week when he is feeling amicable and trying to get him to sign a waiver of alimony then🤞

ColorlessGem-n-eye · 2024-10-11T21:37:35+00:00

This is one of the reasons I divorced my ex to begin with. She kept telling me the same. As soon as I told her I'm divorcing.mm guess what. She got a job. She actively searched and got a job. I still proceeded, because years of financial abuse, which is what this is... added up and I wasn't willing to go through it again, which is exactly what would have happened. Now she makes 10 dollars an hour and is somehow content... broken but content. I cannot fathom that.

Gattsama · 2024-10-11T19:02:54+00:00

Sorry for the drama and BS. I sent you a DM with an overview of the process. IF you can both be honest, accountable, and open, then there is no need for attorneys. However, if you could do that, you also most likely wouldn't be getting divorced.

If she's refusing to work, then she's most likely going to refuse to be reasonable in negotiating. You want an attorney on the back burner just in case.

You can offer mediation, which is the best for everyone as it will save time and money. The problem is that the system is fundamentally broken. You need to learn as much as possible about the system in PA, then accept what would be a fair and reasonable final settlement.

That normally means 50/50 custody and residency for the kids (which normally means little to no child support. Women don't like this. They fight for additional time for the extra money and to hurt you). Add up ALL communal assets and debts, then divide by 2. She has a masters and will be imputed. But you likley will owe some temporary spousal support as well.

Check your messages and good luck with the coming battle...

Comfortable-Angle660 · 2024-10-11T12:15:10+00:00

You have her income imputed to her earning potential. She has a masters, she is beyond employable.

Sea_Emu_4259 · 2024-10-11T06:17:12+00:00

I would have told this: "Princess, in our World, 80% do not do something they like. And even those who like it, they would happily do at only 1/2 day per week max."

techrmd3 · 2024-10-10T23:48:53+00:00

don't worry once she is divorced she will miraculously discover a job that she "likes" and seemingly have steady employment

near a 100% occurrence in my circle of over 100 divorced men... it's just amazing how motivational being on ones own is.

and yes many times this is taken into account if you don't have kids. If you do you will have a hard time proving an ability to work... it is what it is

Slowloris81 · 2024-10-10T22:51:02+00:00

Get your attorney to impute income to her, which would then reduce your alimony and potentially childcare obligations but that’s a question for your attorney. Her refusal to work doesn’t relieve her of her obligation to do so. She can refuse but she will then bear the financial consequences for doing so.

If you get 50/50 custody that should also reduce your childcare obligations because you’re paying for them on your own half the time.

jimsmythee · 2024-10-10T22:46:44+00:00

You have your lawyer file a motion that she is to be assigned an imputed wage, that she is intentionally unemployed or under-employed.

My situation? My exwife during our divorce was trying to get maximum money out of me in Alimony and Child Support, so she claimed she was "too sick to work." but she had no proof of this and she wasn't collecting disability.

I fought for 50/50 custody and $0 alimony. She wanted maximum alimony and full custody of the kids to remain a SAHM. So she filled out the CS calculator for our state with her having an income of $0.

In the end? Judge told her that there was no reason why she wasn't working, gave her $0 alimony and gave me 50/50 custody. She got an imputed income and since I pay the kids' health insurance, my CS obligation to her was minimal.

All was good for 18 months. Then she was flat broke again and still not working. Solution? Get a job? Hell no! That's crazy talk!

She filled out new CS paperwork, again putting down her income as $0, putting down that I pay $0 for the kids' health insurance and fluffing up my income.

I filed a request for a hearing and the judge again told her to get a job. No change to CS.

cschoonmaker · 2024-10-10T22:41:13+00:00

Impute her income. The courts can/have assigned a wage based on her work experience and job history. It may end up being minimum wage but it's better than nothing.

Mister_Vandemar · 2024-10-10T22:36:52+00:00

I’m in Illinois, but my wife arbitrarily decided to quit her job a few months before she filed for divorce. She has a degree and is employable, but didn’t want to work. My attorney had some success using imputed income to figure out the support calculations, but I still got screwed on the basis that her imputed income was very low despite years of tax records showing she made as much or more than me over the previous decade.

It’s rough.

whoisgodiam · 2024-10-10T22:23:31+00:00

You’ll be paying a mountain of alimony. Lifetime alimony in California if the marriage was over a decade.

Title	What if spouse refuses to work?
Author	OkMathematician8694
Upvotes	16
Comments	37
Date	October 10, 2024 10:22 PM UTC (1 year ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/Divorce_Men
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/Divorce_Men/comments/1g0uwtd/what_if_spouse_refuses_to_work/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/Divorce_Men/what-if-spouse-refuses-to-work.1532655 https://theredarchive.com/post/1532655

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