Stay-at-Home Parent & Alimony: Am I On My Own After Divorce? Artwork

Love Court Off the Record

In the podcast, Love Court Off The Record, we look at specific legal questions regarding all family law matters. From child custody to child support to divorce. We also take a humorous look at divorce. It does make people go crazy!!

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Love Court Off the Record

Stay-at-Home Parent & Alimony: Am I On My Own After Divorce?

June 08, 2026 • Anderson Keuscher Brachmann

0:00 | 1:42

“I’ve been a stay-at-home mom for the past 12 years while my husband built his career and income. Now he’s filed for divorce and is telling me I need to ‘just get a job’ and that he’s not going to pay alimony because I’m capable of working. I haven’t been in the workforce in over a decade and gave up my career to raise our kids and support him. Does the court actually take that into account, or am I expected to just figure it out on my own?"

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In this episode of Love Court, divorce attorney Jessica Anderson answers a deeply personal question from a listener who spent 12 years as a stay-at-home mom while her spouse built his career. Now facing divorce, she’s being told to simply “get a job” and that alimony isn’t on the table.

Jessica explains how courts evaluate spousal support, especially when one partner stepped away from the workforce to raise children and support the household. She breaks down the key factors judges consider—such as the length of the marriage, earning capacity, contributions to the family, and time needed to re-enter the workforce—and whether a stay-at-home parent is expected to become immediately self-sufficient.