I personally know of a women who remarried, about 10 years ago with 2 minor children, the youngest now being 18. This woman, who is very smart and held a high paying job in finance in NYC when she first got married over 20 years ago, would not take a job of equal talent in Florida, since she would lose the cash cow from her first husband for support (alimony and child support). She has continued to take jobs as a part time substitute preschool teacher, which in Florida, requires nothing more than a pulse and a high school diploma or equivalent.
Had the government NOT interfered and entitled her, she would have been held responsible for providing for her 2 minor children and could have built equity in her financial career. In addition, the father of those children could have had a normal relationship with his children. He left the country to avoid jail. He is back now, since his ex-wife decided not to press charges against him, but the children do NOT know him as their natural father -- just the jerk that was married to their mom.
In this day and age, there is only 1 solution, abolish permanent alimony.
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