Court Opinion

ID: 9581316
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 22:13:39.731518+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:36:51.077435
License: Public Domain

Gardner, Judge:
I dissent. The wife in this case devoted her career-building years to the marriage and the rearing of the parties’ children. Obtaining employment at age 43 will be difficult, to say the least, for a woman who has been out of the job market for most of her adult life. The wife of this case sent her husband through college. He now earns more than $96,000 per year. I would modify the appealed order by awarding the wife $3,000 per month permanent alimony. Although this would not equalize the income of the parties, it would afford credence to the obligation of the Court to award alimony in keeping with the standard of living the wife has become accustomed to.
I, as a judge, cannot endorse the proposition that wives of a long marriage who have devoted their career-building years to the marriage and the rearing of the children are not entitled to equitable treatment in divorces brought about by the husband’s adultery in the September of their lives. Statistics bear out the fact that in divorces wives are impoverished and husbands are enriched — equity should not condone this statistically proven fact.
I would affirm with the suggested modification.