California Divorce Lawyer Blog

According to CNN, changing times and changing attitudes have resulted in a growing trend of men receiving alimony – or spousal support, as it's called in California – in the aftermath of a divorce.

California Family Code §4300 mandates that spouses have a duty to support each other. This duty is gender-blind; that is, husbands have a duty to support their wives, AND wives have a duty to support their husbands. This duty exists during marriage and after separation and divorce, and a host of factors are considered in determining both how long support is payable and how much support is paid.

According to the CNN article, only 4% of women nationwide (according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics) pay spousal support, despite that 33% of higher wage earners in the family are women. Whether this is due to the stigma historically associated with men receiving "manimony" or other social factors can probably be debated endlessly. However, the increasing trend of fathers remaining home and being the primary caregivers for their children has likely led to the increasing trend of men receiving spousal support, according to Jeffrey Leving, an Illinois divorce attorney and author. "It's becoming more socially acceptable for men to be primary parents," he says.

For more information about spousal support and other California family law issues, please contact attorney Gary D. Sparks.