Georgian men have the same rights as women to receive alimony

Historically, Georgian men have worked outside the home more often than women, and their wifes stayed home to raise their children. This has led to an inclination for men going through a divorce to be more hesitant to request or pursue spousal support than women.

A recent article highlights husbands that stay at home and take care of a couple's children, while the wife pursues her career. With this increase in lower-income husbands, there is also an increase in men requesting spousal support, pursuant to a divorce. However, men tend to drop this request more often than women. There are multiple reasons for this, including a preference for receiving a greater portion of marital property, or as a trade-off to not have to pay child support, among others.

When a couple divorces, there is often a discrepancy in the relative incomes of the spouses. This can make it difficult for the lower-income spouse to maintain the same standard of living that they enjoyed during the marriage. To alleviate this discrepancy, a court may order that the higher earning spouse pay a portion of their income to the other spouse.

Such payment is known as alimony and is made according to a defined schedule. Alimony may be classified as rehabilitative, which is paid for a set period of time, or permanent, which is paid until a court deems that it is no longer necessary.

The amount of alimony to be paid, as well as the type of alimony ordered, is determined through the application of numerous factors. In Georgia, these factors include the length of the marriage, the financial standing of each spouse and the contribution made by each spouse in the marriage, among others.

Not included in these factors is the gender of the paying or receiving spouse. Men are entitled to receive alimony the same as women. Spouses going through a divorce may seek the guidance of a family law attorney to assist them with the process of determining spousal support.

Source: Charlotte Observer, "Guiding your family through divorce: spousal support," Penelope Hefner, July 2, 2014