[HairOfTheDog]

apparently under the legal fiction that being married to a man permanently ruins a woman's ability to care for herself...

Just a legal fiction? If you look at what many FReeper men are looking for, that's one of the most sought after features! Careers and self sufficiency are much frowned upon, as, I imagine are women who have their own assets they might like to protect with a prenup.

[null and void]

Yep, but California law assumes that being married to a man for too long permanently ruins a woman's ability to find her way in that big old nasty world. His alimony payments never expire.

Indeed should he be so foolish as to remarry to a woman who has a job, the new wife's income gets added to his and his alimony payments go up!