I gave my ex-wife 50% of my wages as alimony so I could avoid debts. She agreed to pay my expenses. Now she’s changed her mind

3 years ago 619

Dear Moneyist,

I person an irrevocable judgement against me. The creditors wanted to enactment a lien connected my wages, truthful I agreed to wage my ex-wife alimony of 50% of my wages truthful the creditors could not garnish my wages. We unrecorded unneurotic arsenic roommates.

The knowing was that we would stock the expenses,  but she refuses to wage immoderate expenses and present she  hordes each the wealth for herself . She does lend her Social Security benefits.

She inactive pockets implicit $2,000 a month. I americium near with indebtedness each period and person had to usage recognition cards to wage our bills. When I sermon my fiscal dilemma, she says that this is her wealth legally.

What tin I bash ? Can I spell backmost to the tribunal and effort to alteration the percent of the magnitude of the alimony? I cannot proceed getting deeper into debt. I cannot inquire her to permission the location due to the fact that we are some connected the title. Please help.

The Ex-Husband & Roommate

You tin email The Moneyist with immoderate fiscal and ethical questions related to coronavirus astatine qfottrell@marketwatch.com, and travel Quentin Fottrell on Twitter.

Dear Ex-Husband,

You made a high-stakes gamble — and it didn’t wage off.

You attempted to crippled the divorce-court strategy successful bid to forestall paying debts, but your ex-wife decided she needs and/or deserves the wealth more, and has decided to support the handsome magnitude of alimony. It’s a pugnacious break.

Whether oregon not it was an knowing (on your part) oregon a verbal statement betwixt the 2 of you, it makes nary difference. She has the state to bash immoderate she wants with her alimony.

With the assistance of your lawyer, you could spell backmost to divorcement tribunal and effort to renegotiate your alimony. But you volition person a batch of explaining to do, and the tribunal would not look kindly connected your program to debar a lien connected your income.

A simplification oregon modification of alimony is typically awarded owed to a alteration successful circumstances — if your woman remarried oregon had a important summation successful her income, for instance, oregon if you had a melodramatic autumn successful your ain income.

However, beryllium cautious of trying to further crippled the system. If you decided to discontinue early, for example, that would not beryllium regarded arsenic a valid reason, arsenic you would person to acquisition an involuntary alteration of circumstances.

Eiges & Orgel whitethorn person 1 imaginable solution: “True cohabitation—meaning that 2 partners are present surviving unneurotic and acting arsenic joined couples do, alternatively than occasionally spending the nighttime — tin besides spell the extremity of alimony payments.”

Did your divorcement lawyer hold to your erstwhile program to springiness your woman 50% of your income successful speech for surviving expenses? That seems an antithetic arrangement. If so, find a caller lawyer this time, and archer him oregon her the unvarnished truth.

It whitethorn beryllium clip to merchantability your house, downsize, and determination on.

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