More Men Get Alimony as Stigma Lessens
As more men sacrifice their careers for their higher earning spouses, more are receiving court-ordered alimony. And more are willing to talk about it.
The percentage of men receiving alimony rose to 3.6 percent in the five years ending in 2006, compared to 2.4 percent in the previous five-year period, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Among those receiving alimony is actor John David Castellanos, who used to star in The Young and the Restless. He gets $9,000 a month. He claims he helped his wife move up in her career, until she began to make more money than him. Another alimony recipient is toilet salesman Joe Garnick, who quit his job to raise the kids and take care of the house. He received $50,000 a year for four years from his ex-wife, who was a global equity derivatives strategist for Merrill Lynch.
The story suggests alimony figures will rise based on 2005 data that shows wives made more money than their husbands in 33 percent of all families. Men often argue they sacrificed their careers or stayed at home to raise children for their spouses.
“Today’s men are shaking off the stigma of being supported by their ex-wives,” the story says. “Several agreed to talk on the record for this article, in part because they say the popular image of the male alimony recipient is unfair: He’s not always a slacker.”
