OK ladies, you have heard me say over and over again, to check the divorce laws in your state, so that you will make intelligent decisions.
I just read an article by Elizabeth Benedict of the Boston Globe. The article was titled: The chilling effect of state divorce laws. In my humble opinion, she is not objective in her article. She states, it’s known as the state (Massachusetts) whose divorce laws are so out of date that many people decide against marrying here – or marrying anyone anywhere whose alimony obligations originate here.
I’m one of them! The state’s laws are so extreme they have “a chilling effect on marriage.” Pre-nups offer no guarantees. Judges routinely ignore them…Many highly skilled workers who took time off to raise children are often not expected to work again, even if they divorce at 40. Some judges push them to work again; many don’t… Beyond the injustice of divorce court without end, these laws create two classes of women: those considered too fragile to work and those whose labor is necessary to help support them.
I say to Ms. Benedict, I agree that there is often injustice in all divorce courts, not just in Massachusetts. I take umbrage to your depicting first wives as being one of two classes of women, namely too fragile to work. I find it demeaning and unwarranted. Sure, there may be cases where your words ring true but there are just as many where 1st wives are on the losing end.
After devoting their lives to their husbands and child rearing, many women over 50 are thrown away by their spouses. They find themselves looking for jobs with a 25 year or so, gap in their resumes. Tell me please, why you find these women fragile?!
