Husband Not Living Up to Agreement

[drthyrd]

My question: Is there a legal way to force him to live up to his obligation without divorce and an alimony order?

Short answer. No.

Long answer. No. Seriously, do you have any idea how many promises are broken over the course of a marriage? You cannot enforce his promise to support you in your role as homemaker any more than someone can legally enforce the promise of a spouse that promised to make you dinner every night, rub your feet every night, light candles every time there is a blue moon, send flowers every year on the anniversary of your first date, never lie, never cheat, never put the kids before the marriage, never have kids, have kids, love you forever and this and that and so on. People promise lots of things before marriage. Even when promises are solidified by something legal and enforceable, like a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement, you need to initiate the dissolution process to enforce the rights guaranteed in the agreement. None of the whispered promises made to you before marriage are worth a dime, so try to enjoy the pretty voice of the one that said them to you, if you can, because you don't have a legal leg to stand upon here.

I am sure you are a troll. But this was entertaining.

[Michael44]

Actually, there was a case like this in family law that I remember. Sorry, too lazy to look it up in Lexis.

It was in the Midwest somewhere. A woman who didn't work wanted to regularly visit her sister. The husband didn't like her being gone all the time, so he wouldn't always give her the money to go to her sister's. The woman didn't want to divorce, but she petitioned the court to make the man give her an "allowance" so that she could regularly visit her sister. The court approved it.

The case was from the 1940s (is my memory of it), so take it with a grain - or maybe a truckload - of salt.

[sinclairville]

holy cow i guess i dont have it so bad after all, when i got hurt my wife new we were in for a struggle so besides tending to me and the chours at home with 2 small children she went and found a part time job just to even the money out from what ssd and comp.

[Michael44]

I grew up with a mother who attained a high professional status (in the 1960s) and sisters who did the same. I have also heard that "women can do everything a man can do, only better".

So I am just at a loss to explain women - and even worse men (who have to pay for it) - giving excuse after excuse as to why women have to be paid for. Women without kids, women who refuse to work, women who are flat-out lazy.

I personally think that women aren't physically as strong as men, but they are able to work in the same way, and they are capable of the same kind of thinking and intelligence. Most women and most men seem to spout those notions, but then completely resist them in their actions, including family court actions. If women are as capable, they should also have the same responsibilities (like ... get a job).

Society is nuts, frankly.