Should Working Women Get Alimony After Divorce?
Should Working Women Get Alimony After Divorce?
American Oil Tycoon Harold Hamm paid $1 billion as alimony to his ex-wife. It is one of the biggest settlements in the divorce cases. The high profile case again highlights the topic of alimony in divorce cases. Most of the times, it is the woman who is the beneficiary in alimony cases. However, at a time when women are also financial efficient and capable of bearing their expenses, should they get alimony after divorce?
Yes
• It is not necessary that the woman was working to earn her livelihood. It might be her hobby that she was pursuing.
• The salary earned may or may not be enough to fulfill her needs. So, she should get the alimony to support herself post divorce.
• There are many additional economic challenges that women need to face alone after marriage and for which she has a right to get support from her ex-husband.
• When the woman workd during her marriage she spends the money on the house and family. So, she has a right to be looked after when she is alone.
• Sometimes the women take smaller jobs to keep themselves occupied while their prime focus remains looking after the family. This amount most of the times is not sufficient for them to meet their expenses.
No
• Women have as many opportunities and ability as men to find a job and earn their livelihood on their own. So, why should working women get the alimony?
• There are many instances where women is earning more than her husband, and don’t need any financial support from him.
• It is the era of women empowerment where women claim themselves to be equal to men, and therefore why should they get any additional privileges.
• The elimination of alimony factor will force the couple to rethink about their marriage and give it a second chance.
• The concept of alimony is simple; it is needed only when there is a requirement, when women are working why they should even file for it.
Conclusion
The court determines alimony on several factors. However, working women should receive alimony or not remains a debatable issue. There are many other factors associated with every single case which makes viewing everything in the same light difficult. But one thing remains clear - if the society is still working on the conservative approach, then why should court restrain from allowing alimony to working women, and if society is allowing equal status to men and women, then why should even women think of taking alimony from men.
Discussion
- RE: Should Working Women Get Alimony After Divorce? -Deepa Kaushik (11/27/14)
- The topic of alimony after divorce does not take the single aspect of the women being from the working class or otherwise. Instead the case needs deeper analysis for the reason behind their decision to part. If the women is at fault and want to get parted voluntarily, then it would not be fair enough to ask for the alimony. At such a scenario, the man should not be burdened monetarily for no mistake of his own.
Again, when we talk of alimony and considering the present generation metropolitan women who earns well to run her life, why don’t we discuss the alimony for the males in cases where the women is better employed and placed in the employment? Women fail to understand the hidden suppressing attitude and the egoism of the males in considering themselves superior to women. It is a way of communication to make the women realize their position under men in the society.
A women though working or not should be given alimony in case their children, if any, are granted the custody of the mother. In such a scenario, the father has an equal responsibility in upbringing of the child and the child should not be deprived of the basic requirements in life just due to the lack of sufficient funds.
Hence, every divorce case is unique in itself, which requires introspective study in order reach an appropriate resolution. It is not incorrect to seek alimony with genuine requirement, like the female being devoid of career and profession in order to take care of the family or so. But a working women couldn’t justify her demand for alimony in the absence of children.
