Displaced Homemaker Rights

What Entitles a Wife to Spousal Support?

Courts look to a number of factors in determining if an ex-spouse is entitled to spousal support. The amount of support to which an ex-spouse is entitled and the length of time an ex-spouse receives support varies, depending on the circumstances. Spousal support is awarded by courts as a way to provide economic fairness.

Spouses who take the non-wage earning position in the marriage to raise the kids or keep up the home, sometimes regardless of gender, are considered "homemakers." Certain jurisdictions weigh this contribution equally alongside the breadwinner of the marriage.

In most states, spousal support (alimony) can be sought by the party to divorce who was dependent on her spouse's income during the course of the marriage. Displaced homemakers may have a better chance at receiving an award of spousal support. However, given the prevalence of two-income families, the trend of the court is to eschew spousal support in most instances, or to only make it available for rehabilitative or reimbursement purposes.