Tag: Finances

Money issues in Divorce.

True Story: How to Squirrel Away $5,000 to Get Out of a Horrible Marriage (And Get the Kids, House and Alimony)

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I know an amazing mother of four children. She is on her second marriage and this time, the marriage is extremely successful. She and her caring, supportive husband are both school teachers. They have two-year-old twins and a house with — literally — a white-picket fence around it. It wasn’t always this way.

I’ll call this woman “Anne.”

Anne’s ex-husband was an obsessive, controlling and verbally abusive police officer. He drank. He cheated. And when Anne protested, he threatened to use his job to take custody of their preschool-aged kids and make her life a living hell. He also threatened to use his position as the sole bread-winner to hire the best lawyer and steam-roll over her in court. Yet, rather than feeling trapped and overwhelmed, Anne seized control of the situation — by taking control of her finances.

But not in the way you might think.

Continue reading “True Story: How to Squirrel Away $5,000 to Get Out of a Horrible Marriage (And Get the Kids, House and Alimony)” →

Every Woman Needs $5,000 in Her Own Account — Even If It’s a Secret

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Every married woman needs at least $5,000 in a bank account in her own name — no matter what her husband thinks.

Far too many women are going to reject this mandate as an act of marital treason. Let’s be clear: I didn’t say the account had to be a secret. I leave that up to the individual woman. Nor did I suggest that you shouldn’t care what your partner thinks. In a healthy relationship, you should absolutely care about his opinion. But you should have an account, regardless.

You’re an adult. You should have some access to cash in your own name, not because it is a “divorce slush fund,” but for scads of other reasons. Continue reading “Every Woman Needs $5,000 in Her Own Account — Even If It’s a Secret” →

Courts to stay-at-home-moms: “Get a job!”

Family and divorce courts are increasingly telling stay-at-home-moms to get back to work.  Watch me speak with financial & single mom blogger Emma Johnson about the issue here: