It is easier to predict the outcome of a crapshoot than the decision of a Clark County Family Court judge faced with a request for alimony. Alimony is a prickly subject among divorced couples because it legally binds men and women together for years after their separation. Traditionally alimony has been viewed as guaranteed income for homemakers. But recently, judges have ordered spousal support for women who make just a little less than their husbands and withheld it from wives who were unfaithful.
Some people think of it as reimbursement.
Some people see it as getting on your feet. Alimony is the last great crapshoot. There has been no research into alimony awards in Nevada, court officials and lawyers say, making it impossible to compare the Family Court judges to their colleagues nationwide. This has not stopped attorneys and litigants from expressing concern over what they see as inconsistencies in who should receive awards and gross disparities in amounts. Nor has it stopped some from accusing judges of being biased in favor of men or women.