In an age of dual incomes, alimony payers want states to update divorce laws. Traditionally, alimony or maintenance was designed to prevent divorced women who did not work and were less educated from falling into poverty.  In today’s world a majority of women work and nearly a third have college degrees.

But, even today, divorce is more likely to hurt women. They are still the ones who typically give up their jobs and careers to focus on raising the children. Even when they do not give up their jobs, the responsibility of raising the children is still theirs.  Returning to jobs after a long absence can be difficult, if not impossible. Older women, particularly, find it very difficult to find a decent job.  For every man paying alimony there is an ex-wife who got the short end of the stick. After a long-term marriage, a divorced man’s standard of living goes up, while the woman’s go down.

Many states are creating commissions to study the state’s alimony laws. Some people feel that the laws have to be rewritten to make them more equitable. Activists are setting up “Alimony Reform” groups. They are, by the way, in the minority.