[Uncle Miltie]

"My old childhood buddy is paying alimony to his ex, who left him & is living with another guy with apparently no plans to get a job herself."

That's me. So long as my ex and her live-in never marry, they both get to live off of me.

[cuban leaf]

Mine never changed her last name or re-married. In a few years she’ll get to live off my social security. It won’t affect me or my wife, or I’d have tried to stop it.

[driftdiver]

“That’s me. So long as my ex and her live-in never marry, they both get to live off of me.”

jeeze you’re a nice guy, how can I get in on this scheme. /s

[meatloaf]

Live and learn. FWIW, there are countries you can retire to that don’t habla US court documents. That assumes you have portable wealth they can’t attach.

[tbw2]

I wonder if the community property and alimony laws are why the cohabitation rate for all age ranges has been rising for at least 25 years.
Younger people don’t want to get married to avoid a divorce, and older people don’t want to lose alimony or widow’s benefits.