Wy is Alimony still a thing in the U.S?

[Deathknightish]

I think this is one of those things that we Europeans find odd about the United States. That the richer person in a marriage becomes obligated to support the ex-spouse, should a divorce happen.

As I understand it, it had it's place back in the days when (mainly) women weren't expected to work and be stay-at-home wifes. If a divorce happened alimony was put in place so she didn't starve to death.

However, that's not really the case anymore in today's world. Both men and women are expected to sustain themselves, whether they are single or married. So why is it still a thing? I even read an, in my opinion ridiculous, argument that alimony is meant to make sure that the poorer part still lives at the same quality of life as he/she did when they were married. That baffles me, quite frankly, as one shouldn't expect to live as good of a life as single without a shared economy. If anything, it's unfair to those singles who have never been married and could reap such benefits.If you're single, you're single and you're on your own imo.

So what's the deal with alimony?

[Ninjaturtle]

One of the reasons why getting married is more of a risk then benefit. Guy or girl. I have a male friend who gets it from his ex. Marriage is such a feeble commitment now with people having far more access to finding new people. I wonder if the person receiving it loses it if they reach that level of sustainability.

[Zeta333]

I think this is one of those things that we Europeans find odd about the United States. That the richer person in a marriage becomes obligated to support the ex-spouse, should a divorce happen.

As I understand it, it had it's place back in the days when (mainly) women weren't expected to work and be stay-at-home wifes. If a divorce happened alimony was put in place so she didn't starve to death.

However, that's not really the case anymore in today's world. Both men and women are expected to sustain themselves, whether they are single or married. So why is it still a thing? I even read an, in my opinion ridiculous, argument that alimony is meant to make sure that the poorer part still lives at the same quality of life as he/she did when they were married. That baffles me, quite frankly, as one shouldn't expect to live as good of a life as single without a shared economy. If anything, it's unfair to those singles who have never been married and could reap such benefits.If you're single, you're single and you're on your own imo.

So what's the deal with alimony?

Its fucking shit left over and wont go away, They get rid of it and feminists will scream. Dividing half the assets up is pretty fucking shit as well, you take from the marriage what you brought. If you were a trophy wife and didnt do shit you shouldnt get shit.

[The One Percent]

Marriage is a relic of a bygone era when it was used to secure political/economic (same shit, really) power.

If you're a young man, there is zero reason to get married and any woman that tries to force you into it is not worth your time.

[Stelio Kontos]

Let me ask you this, say a man marries a woman, a foreigner with no higher degrees or work history in that country, expecting her to be a housewife. She spends over 30 years doing so, raising their two kids. When he goes from dead-end job to dead-end job, living paycheck to pay-check, declaring bankruptcy twice, floating checks, the typical scumbag stuff. She sells all the assets her family gave her, namely two parcels of land passed down to her by her parents, to bail him out of his financial ineptitude, and they're forced to use the money HER parents set aside for the two sons' college to bail him out, AND they take the money both sons make and get from school loans because dad messed up again, only to have her husband leave her, at 60 years old, in a country she'd never worked in, after being a housewife for 30-odd years, so he can go live in a camper out in the country and enjoy what pension/SS he gets without having to spend much, are you saying she deserves nothing?

Because that's a real life example. I know these people. Should he be allowed to just walk away and that's that?

[Deathknightish]

Let me ask you this, say a man marries a woman, a foreigner with no higher degrees or work history in that country, expecting her to be a housewife. She spends over 30 years doing so, raising their two kids. When he goes from dead-end job to dead-end job, living paycheck to pay-check, declaring bankruptcy twice, floating checks, the typical scumbag stuff. She sells all the assets her family gave her, namely two parcels of land passed down to her by her parents, to bail him out of his financial ineptitude, and they're forced to use the money HER parents set aside for the two sons' college to bail him out, AND they take the money both sons make and get from school loans because dad messed up again, only to have her husband leave her, at 60 years old, in a country she'd never worked in, after being a housewife for 30-odd years, so he can go live in a camper out in the country and enjoy what pension/SS he gets without having to spend much, are you saying she deserves nothing?

Because that's a real life example. I know these people. Should he be allowed to just walk away and that's that?

I believe in the system that we have in my country. That you split 50/50 in things you bought post-marriage and nothing else.

That's a really sad story, but that's when the government should step in with benefits and welfare. Compared to many European countries, the U.S welfare system need much improvement for those in need.
Your example is a perfect case of someone in need.

[Independent voter]

Tax payers don't want to pay for your screw ups.

Say you're married with two kids, you start banging your secretary at work, the wife finds out and files for divorce.

Is she going to wind up on the streets penniless? No, she's going to file for social benefits and get them, that's tens of thousands of dollars the tax payers will have to give her each year.

So instead of tax payers paying, alimony means you pay, which is what the tax payers want.

Same thing with dead beat dads.

We put both dead beat dads and people who don't pay alimony in jail for not paying by the way.

[Player Twelve]

I believe in the system that we have in my country. That you split 50/50 in things you bought post-marriage and nothing else.

That's a really sad story, but that's when the government should step in with benefits and welfare. Compared to many European countries, the U.S welfare system need much improvement for those in need.
Your example is a perfect case of someone in need.

If I am to believe what someone said about US welfare system, then t doesn't need improvements, US gives way more money than european countries give people.

[Deathknightish]

Tax payers don't want to pay for your screw ups.

Say you're married with two kids, you start banging your secretary at work, the wife finds out and files for divorce.

Is she going to wind up on the streets penniless? No, she's going to file for social benefits and get them, that's tens of thousands of dollars the tax payers will have to give her each year.

So instead of tax payers paying, alimony means you pay, which is what the tax payers want.

Same thing with dead beat dads.

We put both dead beat dads and people who don't pay alimony in jail for not paying by the way.

Honestly, it's such a miniscule amount of money to give someone a better life.

It's basically a question of each and everyone paying an extra 9-10 dollars a year in taxes to help a lot of people, compared to one person throwing up hundreds, maybe even thousands of dollars, a month.

I happily give the equivalent of a monthly netflix subscription and a pizza to make sure that those that are in the worst position in society can get help getting back on track. A society's worth is viewed on how it treats it's weakest.

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If I am to believe what someone said about US welfare system, then t doesn't need improvements, US gives way more money than european countries give people.

I haven't heard of any welfare in the U.S even closely compared to our right to existensminimum, care to share?

[Zeta333]

Let me ask you this, say a man marries a woman, a foreigner with no higher degrees or work history in that country, expecting her to be a housewife. She spends over 30 years doing so, raising their two kids. When he goes from dead-end job to dead-end job, living paycheck to pay-check, declaring bankruptcy twice, floating checks, the typical scumbag stuff. She sells all the assets her family gave her, namely two parcels of land passed down to her by her parents, to bail him out of his financial ineptitude, and they're forced to use the money HER parents set aside for the two sons' college to bail him out, AND they take the money both sons make and get from school loans because dad messed up again, only to have her husband leave her, at 60 years old, in a country she'd never worked in, after being a housewife for 30-odd years, so he can go live in a camper out in the country and enjoy what pension/SS he gets without having to spend much, are you saying she deserves nothing?

Because that's a real life example. I know these people. Should he be allowed to just walk away and that's that?

Id say its her fault for shit life choices not his.

[Player Twelve]

I haven't heard of any welfare in the U.S even closely compared to our right to existensminimum, care to share?

Someone on the forum posted this:
Section 8 housing vouchers (depending on location and size of home/family): Anywhere from $1000-$4000/month.
SNAP (food stamps): ~$150/month per person
Medicaid (health insurance): The cheapest legal health insurance plans are like $200-$300/month if you are young, medicaid is better than those in that there is very little out of pocket cost.
Welfare (just plain money): ~$600/month.

That's a shitload more money than you get from the welfare system in Sweden.

[Stelio Kontos]

Id say its her fault for shit life choices not his.

I expect shit like that from you, judging by your previous posts.

Good to see nothing changes.

Good thing laws are made by folks with larger brain capacity.

I helped her make sure she gets half of everything he gets, every month, until the day he dies. That will still probably never equal the amount of money she lost to him and the marriage.

[Deathknightish]

Someone on the forum posted this:
Section 8 housing vouchers (depending on location and size of home/family): Anywhere from $1000-$4000/month.
SNAP (food stamps): ~$150/month per person
Medicaid (health insurance): The cheapest legal health insurance plans are like $200-$300/month if you are young, medicaid is better than those in that there is very little out of pocket cost.
Welfare (just plain money): ~$600/month.

That's a shitload more money than you get from the welfare system in Sweden.

If that is true, then my opinion of alimony is even harsher. Then it shouldn't be a thing at all.

I've lived on welfare, and quite frankly, I lived like a small king. I had no worries at all during my time, so imagine what it would be like with even double the amount...

I have to question why so many are homeless and live in such shitty conditions, though, if welfare double the amount of Sweden is just one step away. I've been to some ghettos like Little Havana and Little Haiti, and they felt like third-world countries. Nothing I have seen here in Sweden at all.

[Deleted]

Someone on the forum posted this:
Section 8 housing vouchers (depending on location and size of home/family): Anywhere from $1000-$4000/month.
SNAP (food stamps): ~$150/month per person
Medicaid (health insurance): The cheapest legal health insurance plans are like $200-$300/month if you are young, medicaid is better than those in that there is very little out of pocket cost.
Welfare (just plain money): ~$600/month.

That's a shitload more money than you get from the welfare system in Sweden.

I've seen poverty in Sweden and I've seen poverty in the US, both first hand visiting friends and working within welfare.

There is no way in hell that you get anywhere near that ammount of money as default in the US, that has to be some sort of special case if its even true. The horrible conditions they live in would not exist if people were given that level of support.

Meanwhile in sweden, so many people get what they need and more even, but they dont put in any damn effort to improve, in fact they often waste the money and come begging for aid halfway through the month, aid that cannot be given because they've had more than enough already.
If you know that you're poor and living on government aid, you shouldnt need to spend more than the 360-ish dollars you get each month here in sweden. The rent is taken care of and usually internet and phonebills as well, that money is solely for living.



Furthermore, the system in the US is broken. You either have a social safety net or you dont, the woman talked about earlier in the thread surely deserves help, but that help should come from the government, not a man that has shown to not be able to handle his economy time and time again.

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I expect shit like that from you, judging by your previous posts.

Good to see nothing changes.

Good thing laws are made by folks with larger brain capacity.

I helped her make sure she gets half of everything he gets, every month, until the day he dies. That will still probably never equal the amount of money she lost to him and the marriage.

What shit? It's true, she should've bailed WAAAAY earlier in that marriage. She wasted money on a person clearly not intent on changing his ways. And now they both have to live shitty lives instead of the government doing their job and taking care of her.

[Deathknightish]

I've seen poverty in Sweden and I've seen poverty in the US, both first hand visiting friends and working within welfare.

There is no way in hell that you get anywhere near that ammount of money as default in the US, that has to be some sort of special case if its even true. The horrible conditions they live in would not exist if people were given that level of support.

Meanwhile in sweden, so many people get what they need and more even, but they dont put in any damn effort to improve, in fact they often waste the money and come begging for aid halfway through the month, aid that cannot be given because they've had more than enough already.
If you know that you're poor and living on government aid, you shouldnt need to spend more than the 360-ish dollars you get each month here in sweden. The rent is taken care of and usually internet and phonebills as well, that money is solely for living.



Furthermore, the system in the US is broken. You either have a social safety net or you dont, the woman talked about earlier in the thread surely deserves help, but that help should come from the government, not a man that has shown to not be able to handle his economy time and time again.

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What shit? It's true, she should've bailed WAAAAY earlier in that marriage. She wasted money on a person clearly not intent on changing his ways. And now they both have to live shitty lives instead of the government doing their job and taking care of her.

This ^. These situations are exactly what welfare is for, not "I'm lazy and don't want to work".

[Player Twelve]

I've seen poverty in Sweden and I've seen poverty in the US, both first hand visiting friends and working within welfare.

There is no way in hell that you get anywhere near that ammount of money as default in the US, that has to be some sort of special case if its even true. The horrible conditions they live in would not exist if people were given that level of support.

Meanwhile in sweden, so many people get what they need and more even, but they dont put in any damn effort to improve, in fact they often waste the money and come begging for aid halfway through the month, aid that cannot be given because they've had more than enough already.
If you know that you're poor and living on government aid, you shouldnt need to spend more than the 360-ish dollars you get each month here in sweden. The rent is taken care of and usually internet and phonebills as well, that money is solely for living.



Furthermore, the system in the US is broken. You either have a social safety net or you dont, the woman talked about earlier in the thread surely deserves help, but that help should come from the government, not a man that has shown to not be able to handle his economy time and time again.

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What shit? It's true, she should've bailed WAAAAY earlier in that marriage. She wasted money on a person clearly not intent on changing his ways. And now they both have to live shitty lives instead of the government doing their job and taking care of her.

I don't know, I asked why people have to work 2 jobs etc if they get that much in welfare and the response was that it's so stigmatized to receive welfare that people don't apply for it or something?

[Stelio Kontos]

What shit? It's true, she should've bailed WAAAAY earlier in that marriage. She wasted money on a person clearly not intent on changing his ways. And now they both have to live shitty lives instead of the government doing their job and taking care of her.

She lives a lot better. Her sons moved her in, and between the two of them they're well into the six figures. She pushed them to study, go to college, and work hard to not follow their father's example. So now he lives in a trailer. But hey, karma. Between me making sure he pays her what is due to her, and her sons, she actually lives like a human being, and costs the taxpayer nil.

[Zeta333]

I expect shit like that from you, judging by your previous posts.

Good to see nothing changes.

Good thing laws are made by folks with larger brain capacity.

I helped her make sure she gets half of everything he gets, every month, until the day he dies. That will still probably never equal the amount of money she lost to him and the marriage.

Why is it his fault she chose to do nothing with his life besides trade sex for a life with someone on a downward spiral. She should have left before giving up everything or godforbid she should have goten a job or career of her own. just becuase she made shit life choices doesnt me he should have to pay her for the rest of her life. Nothing stopped her from doing somthing with her life. No one forced her to be married

[Stelio Kontos]

Why is it his fault she chose to do nothing with his life besides trade sex for a life with someone on a downward spiral. She should have left before giving up everything or godforbid she should have goten a job or career of her own. just becuase she made shit life choices doesnt me he should have to pay her for the rest of her life. Nothing stopped her from doing somthing with her life. No one forced her to be married

Like I said, typical post from you. Apparently you think abused spouses deserve no help.

It's all good, he's finally being made to pay, and he'll keep paying.

[FuxieDK]

I think this is one of those things that we Europeans find odd about the United States. That the richer person in a marriage becomes obligated to support the ex-spouse, should a divorce happen.

Ehm... To my knowledge it's "still a thing" in Europe too.. I don't know of any country where it doesn't exist..

Isn't old fashioned? Sure thing..
But it's still very much in effect..