While most tend to think that it is only women who are awarded spousal support in a divorce, the truth is that many more men are also starting to be awarded support from their ex-wives. This is due to the fact that more women are becoming the family breadwinners. More men are also staying home to raise the kids.
Recently, it was announced Randall Whittinghill filed for divorce from actress Eliza Coupe. At this point, there have been rumors that he is seeking spousal support from his actress wife.
In looking at their marriage, the couple was together for 12 years before Whittinghill filed for divorce. If during their 12 years together, if Coupe earned substantially more than Whittinghill, one could say it only makes sense that he is requesting spousal support.
In Missouri, spousal support — also known as alimony and spousal maintenance — is not an automatic. This means that even in easily justifiable cases, like when a stay-at-home dad has been out of the workforce for years, a case will still need to be made for why spousal support should be granted.
Spousal support in Missouri is also rarely of limited duration. This means most cases result in maintenance until death, remarriage or change of circumstance. Considering the fact that the number of years of spousal support can end up resulting in a significant amount of money — and the fact that alimony is not guaranteed — it is critical to build a solid case for why support should be awarded.
Source: Us Weekly, “Eliza Coupe Served With Divorce Papers by Husband Randall Whittinghill,” Allison Takeda, July 2, 2013
