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Years and marriages later, they still pay
www.boston.com ^ | July 18, 2010 | Bella English

Posted on 07/18/2010 7:42:32 AM PDT by GOPsterinMA

Steve Niro got married in 1981 at age 23 and divorced less than five years later. At the time of the divorce, he and his wife were in their late 20s, and both were working. Niro remarried nearly 15 years ago, but he’s still paying his alimony.

Two years ago, Niro’s youngest son graduated from college, ending child support payments and leaving his former wife with alimony of $65 a week. “The next thing I know, I get summonsed to court for alimony adjustment,’’ he says. A probate court judge increased the alimony to $700 a week even though the couple had divorced nearly a quarter of a century ago — five times longer than they were married.

“I paid child support. I paid college. I was never late. I fulfilled my obligations,’’ says Niro, 52, a Milford native who works for an environmental engineering firm in Portland, Maine. “I just have to hope that legislators in Massachusetts have enough sense to pass a law that puts guidelines on alimony because the courts don’t exercise any common sense or logic.’’

Niro and other men — and women — like him say the state’s alimony law is archaic, reflecting an era when women kept house and men provided. Today, with women making up nearly half the workforce, they say alimony should be a temporary boost, not a lifetime subsidy.

(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: alimony; divorce; ma; probate
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To: GOPsterinMA

This makes the women whores and the state their pimps. Except the only sex involved is the poor guy getting screwed.


41 posted on 07/18/2010 8:44:32 AM PDT by IronJack (=)
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To: riri

A lot depends on the lawyer. they love to push up their paycheck.....because the man usually pays for both lawyers...


42 posted on 07/18/2010 8:44:50 AM PDT by goat granny
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To: Jack Hydrazine

>> Is the financial risk worth getting married?

To the right woman, ABSOLUTELY!

That’s the key. Do your marriage thinking with the “upstairs” head. If you know what I mean (and I think you do).

And don’t rush into it.


43 posted on 07/18/2010 8:46:06 AM PDT by Nervous Tick (Eat more spinach! Make Green Jobs for America!)
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To: CORedneck

I am presently in the 5th of the 8th year of paying alimony to my ex. @ 1,200 per month. I am on time every month giving her the money but she insists that I not claim these dollars when I do taxes. In other words, she wants the full amount tax free.

Crap, it never ends...... It is going to get very interesting when I write the final check...........

Sheesh!!!!!

MFO


44 posted on 07/18/2010 8:46:50 AM PDT by Man from Oz
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To: RandallFlagg
ha! That'd be my husband. For sure. I wouldn't even go there if I wanted to.

I know another guy who did this. It broke him, literally. He devoted two years of his life fighting for his kids. He got them. And, now he's got two successful businesses and a new wife and son. He came back stronger than ever.

45 posted on 07/18/2010 8:47:05 AM PDT by riri
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To: Psalm 144
I will never understand why homosexuals even want to play marriage.

All leftism is driven by envy. It's not quite that they want to be married. They want to destroy traditional marriage and turn it into a joke of what it once was.

46 posted on 07/18/2010 8:51:30 AM PDT by Reeses
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To: CORedneck

Me and my now wife did a prenup (mutually agreed on) similar to what you did and a bit more. I have seen enough divorce horror stories.


47 posted on 07/18/2010 8:53:37 AM PDT by wally_bert (It's sheer elegance in its simplicity! - The Middleman)
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To: riri

That guy must have had the same mindset running through his thoughts: Focus on the kids.
It worked for me.


48 posted on 07/18/2010 8:53:43 AM PDT by RandallFlagg (30-year smoker, E-Cigs helped me quit, and O wants me back smoking again?)
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To: livius

I was married and divorced by the time I was 20. My ex-husband’s mother owned the house we were living in, so I moved back in with my parents, 3 hours away, ehich made me have to quit my job. My ex, who had a job, filed for alimony and he tried to argue that since I was unemployed, the alimony amount should be based on my parent’s combined income.


49 posted on 07/18/2010 8:53:59 AM PDT by chae (A wooden stake for Edward, a silver axe for Jacob, and then Buffy went home)
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To: wally_bert

I heard that prenups can be violated with the right court. Don’t know, though.


50 posted on 07/18/2010 8:54:54 AM PDT by RandallFlagg (30-year smoker, E-Cigs helped me quit, and O wants me back smoking again?)
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To: GOPsterinMA

Now that women have stepped ahead of men in college admissions and jobs, will this stop?
I doubt it, as long as the democrats are beholden to their greatest supporters - radical feminists.


51 posted on 07/18/2010 8:55:40 AM PDT by Leftism is Mentally Deranged (leftism: uncurable mental deterioration)
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To: GOPsterinMA
This is the centerpiece of the liberal/feminist/communist destruction of the USA - break the family down.
...
I would never get married while living in the USA - why? The potential minuses far out weight the potential pluses (unfortunately).

Now that will do a lot to help build the family up.

NOT.

How about being as certain as you can be that you will stay married before you get married and then work at it?

Otherwise you're just aiding and abetting the liberals/feminists/communists.

Meanwhile, the tax eaters and the Muslims are out breeding the productive.

52 posted on 07/18/2010 8:56:48 AM PDT by El Gato ("The second amendment is the reset button of the US constitution"-Doug McKay)
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To: GOPsterinMA

I often wondered about gay “marriage.” When they divorce, which one gets to be the “man” with the alimony, child payments, car payments, house payments, and which one gets to be the “woman” with the kids, car, house, and job?


53 posted on 07/18/2010 8:57:13 AM PDT by Leftism is Mentally Deranged (leftism: uncurable mental deterioration)
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To: GOPsterinMA

NEVER EVER get married OR divorced in a state that has strong alimony laws. I do wonder how womens’ lib types justify alimoney.


54 posted on 07/18/2010 8:57:27 AM PDT by Grunthor (I like you but when the zombies chase us, I'm tripping you.)
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To: GOPsterinMA

We don’t have alimony here in Aus - although the child payments could bankrupt a lot of blokes and their is little or no cause for redress!

Here women probably get at least 55% of property plus child payments. If they can’t live on that and get a job then bad luck. Depending on their earnings they can get Social Security as well.

Mel

So move on down to Aus all you divorced Americans - I know a few who have!


55 posted on 07/18/2010 9:02:41 AM PDT by melsec
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To: RandallFlagg

With the right lawyer, good chance. I had a very good one (lady lawyer with a shark’s killer instinct) review mine. She was referred to me by future mother in law who had gone through a bad divorce. I have a fantastic mother in law.


56 posted on 07/18/2010 9:03:21 AM PDT by wally_bert (It's sheer elegance in its simplicity! - The Middleman)
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To: chae

So, what happened? Did he get the alimony?


57 posted on 07/18/2010 9:05:19 AM PDT by jackibutterfly (Palin is so under obama's skin, he hears 'Hail to the Chief' when he sees her.)
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To: goat granny
My sister went through a nasty divorce. Worked three jobs to pay for all the bills and massive renovations to their house (unfortunately, they literally got stuck with a money pit) because her husband claimed his work had fallen off (he had his own company). She then discovered receipts for Bed & Breakfasts where he was taking his chickie and paying in cash. When he started bringing his slut home and openly going on dates with her, she handed him divorce papers.

She had years and years worth of receipts that she had paid, proof that she carried the financial weight of the home for the majority of their marriage. The only thing she wanted out of that mess was their daughter. She gets nothing in alimony and a pittance in child support.

In their divorce, it was all split 50/50. The house was sold and split 50/50. My sister wisely invested her money; who knows what he did with his. He now rents a room in a friend's home and boo hoos about how much he "loved" my sister.

Meanwhile, her career took off and she bought a beautiful new home. She's remarried to a wonderful man and they are thrilled to be expecting their first child.

From the outside, it may look like he "got the shaft" because he's struggling in his little rented room and she's living well now. But those who know the true story realize that she worked herself nearly to death supporting his lazy ass, while he mocked her and cheated on her, and once she was free of that boat anchor, her life bloomed.

If it was up to me, fitting justice would have been a lot more harsh; but carrying that out would land me in jail.

Are there good men, good decent men, getting screwed in divorces? Absolutely, Is it wrong? You bet! Are there nasty women making out big in divorces? Hell yes! It pays to know both sides before passing judgment on anyone's marriage.

Love the story about the guy who hacked up his house. Thanks for sharing it.

58 posted on 07/18/2010 9:05:35 AM PDT by TheWriterTX (-)
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To: goat granny
My sister went through a nasty divorce. Worked three jobs to pay for all the bills and massive renovations to their house (unfortunately, they literally got stuck with a money pit) because her husband claimed his work had fallen off (he had his own company). She then discovered receipts for Bed & Breakfasts where he was taking his chickie and paying in cash. When he started bringing his slut home and openly going on dates with her, she handed him divorce papers.

She had years and years worth of receipts that she had paid, proof that she carried the financial weight of the home for the majority of their marriage. The only thing she wanted out of that mess was their daughter. She gets nothing in alimony and a pittance in child support.

In their divorce, it was all split 50/50. The house was sold and split 50/50. My sister wisely invested her money; who knows what he did with his. He now rents a room in a friend's home and boo hoos about how much he "loved" my sister.

Meanwhile, her career took off and she bought a beautiful new home. She's remarried to a wonderful man and they are thrilled to be expecting their first child.

From the outside, it may look like he "got the shaft" because he's struggling in his little rented room and she's living well now. But those who know the true story realize that she worked herself nearly to death supporting his lazy ass, while he mocked her and cheated on her, and once she was free of that boat anchor, her life bloomed.

If it was up to me, fitting justice would have been a lot more harsh; but carrying that out would land me in jail.

Are there good men, good decent men, getting screwed in divorces? Absolutely, Is it wrong? You bet! Are there nasty women making out big in divorces? Hell yes! It pays to know both sides before passing judgment on anyone's marriage.

Love the story about the guy who hacked up his house. Thanks for sharing it.

59 posted on 07/18/2010 9:05:39 AM PDT by TheWriterTX (-)
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To: melsec
"So move on down to Aus all you divorced Americans - I know a few who have!"

Okaaaay... so, WHERE is "Aus"???

60 posted on 07/18/2010 9:07:27 AM PDT by jackibutterfly (Palin is so under obama's skin, he hears 'Hail to the Chief' when he sees her.)
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