Will you pay manimony when you divorce?

If you are a married Missouri woman whose salary or wage surpasses that of your husband, it may surprise you to learn that should the two of you divorce, you may have to make spousal support payments to your husband. As Wife.org explains, this reasonably new wrinkle to alimony goes by the nickname of manimony.

True, courts today grant manimony in only about 10 percent of divorce cases nationwide. Nevertheless, it represents a growing trend as women throughout the country continue to climb the corporate ladder or start and develop enormously successful businesses of their own. Surprisingly, in 40 percent of American homes today, the woman is the one who supports the family, either solely or by her substantial earnings that exceed those of her husband. Furthermore, over 2 million dads now stay home to raise the kids while their wives work to bring home the bacon.

Manimony factors

Whether or not you have to pay manimony when you divorce depends on a number of factors that courts take into consideration including the following:

• The amount of the disparity between your earnings and those of your husband
• The amount of the disparity between your earning potential and that of your husband
• The amount of disparity between your level of education and that of your husband
• Whether or not your husband could significantly increase his earning potential if he obtained additional education or training
• The length of time the two of you have been married
• How much your husband contributed in nonfinancial ways to the marriage over the years

Manimony payments

As with any other type of spousal support, you likely will not have to make manimony payments longer than a maximum of 10 years. Most courts likewise allow for manimony payments to cease should your ex-husband remarry. In addition, if your manimony is based on your husband’s need for additional education or training, your manimony payments undoubtedly will cease once he obtains it. This is general educational information and not intended to provide legal advice.