Most recently, spousal support has become a local debate in Huntington Beach. A localdivorcee is on a mission to end spousal support in California. A man named Steve Clark claims the $100,000 legal battle he experienced with his ex-wife over spousal should have been spent on his daughter’s education, not legal fees. Clark is currently spearheading a campaign to end spousal support in California. In an effort to advance the cause, Clark’s organization has drafted suggested legislation that changes California’s current spousal support statute to be nonexistent, except in cases of stay at home mothers, whose situations should be judged on a case by case basis and whose support should taper off 20% yearly to allow them to become self supporting. In order to advance the draft legislation, Clark is currently collecting over 365,000 signatures in a petition.
The debate Mr. Clark presents over alimony is a two faceted one. On one hand, Mr. Clark claims that the legislative intent for a divorce staple like alimony was one meant for a time when women did not work outside the home. Mr. Clark claims that the times have changed such that women, in general, do not need alimony in the same way, as they account for nearly half of the workforce.
On the other hand, spousal support has transformed into a multifaceted issue, one that addresses not only the transitional needs of dependent spouses in general, but also the needs of children whose parents have significantly different incomes or income potentials. As the factors themselves indicate, the court needs to account for the spouse’s ability to maintain a standard of living as determined by that set during the marriage; in a case where a business executive is divorcing a school teacher, that factor would weigh in significantly.
Spousal support is only one part of the long and emotionally tiring process of divorce. If you need help drafting documents for presentation for a spousal support matter, Just Document Preparation has experienced staff capable of providing quality written work without the high attorney fees.