More women in Illinois are in the workforce today than ever before. Many wives also make more money than their spouses. Because of this and a gradual equalizing of gender roles, more men are asking for alimony after divorce. A Reuters article published in the Financial Post confirms that divorce attorneys have seen a rise in ex-wives paying spousal support.
This is sometimes true even in instances where the husband makes enough to sustain himself without the support of his ex-wife. That was the case with one Tennessee man. As a partner in a small medical device company, he made good money. However, his wife, an orthopedic surgeon, makes great money. Yet, neither her, nor their family and friends were surprised when he negotiated for alimony.
According to Forbes, in spite of this, only 3% of the people receiving alimony in America are men. Men are more likely to walk away from spousal support even when they need it. Forbes believes the main reason behind this is die-hard gender roles. Even though gender roles are changing, they have not changed enough for a man to feel comfortable asking for spousal support. Alleged sexism among judges also makes this difficult.
Consider also that many men may have already felt emasculated in a relationship where the woman was the primary breadwinner. To then rely on her for income thereafter may only further threaten his manhood, in his mind. That said, many of the men who refuse to ask for what they call “palimony” would fight tooth and nail not to pay it either. Professionals noted that this belief and general behavior was evident in all generations.
Will even more men step forward to ask for palimony? Over time, the trends say yes. This may cause more women to opt for a prenuptial agreement, especially in no-fault states where a man’s infidelity or other inappropriate behavior may not prevent them from receiving that ongoing financial support.
