It’s never easy going through a divorce. Even under the best of circumstances and most equitable breakups, this is a difficult experience to go through.
Finding an equitable division of marital assets can become more complicated when one spouse is a stay-at-home parent. Below are several factors that may dictate how New Jersey judges evaluate what is an equitable distribution for stay-at-home mothers.
Child support payments
As a divorced stay-at-home mother, you will be entitled to monthly child support payments from you ex. The best way to mount a strong argument is to gather receipts and records for one month’s worth of child care expenses.
Things like food, daycare, education, and other expenses will factor in to what your child support payments are going to be. The number of children that you and your spouse have will also heavily impact the amount of child support you may receive.
Alimony payments
Stay-at-home mothers can be at a disadvantage when seeking alimony. This is partly due to the mistaken belief that stay-at-home mothers don’t contribute as much to the marriage as the spouse who is working.
Judges are just more likely to view stay at home mothers as being able to return to the workforce, unless you’ve been a stay at home mother for a very long time. Increasingly, stay at home mothers are being encouraged to pick up a job in addition to parenting. It is important to think about getting a line of work that allows you to grow a marketable skillset while still being able to fulfill your parental responsibilities.
Going through a divorce as a stay at home mother can be a challenging experience. Remember to make the most of the legal advice an experienced attorney can give you to better ensure your interests are protected.
