Forty-two-year-old Ekaterina Fields recently had a rather shocking statement that she shared with a London judge while locked in a $9.6 million divorce battle. (That’s the total estimated value of the couple’s assets; husband Richard is the breadwinner as an international attorney.)
Ekaterina told Justice Holman the following of her post-divorce plans: “I am a very good wife. I will try to find a husband.”
The response drew comments from people at the OpposingViews blog that Ms. Fields was a “gold digger.”
While that certainly could be true, it highlights a vulnerability that many spouses — predominantly women — have in the dissolution of a marriage. For women who have sacrificed their own education and career for the good of the home, there is a real risk of being left without a cause when divorce does occur.
And with some jurisdictions throughout the world either not believing in alimony or upholding limited alimony, it can really put a spouse behind the 8-ball.
It is a reality that has caused some attorneys to offer divorce education courses that many happily married women take much to the chagrin of their husbands.
Spouses who are not in charge of the finances and who are not breadwinners in their marriages — men and women — can benefit from acquiring more information, even if they have no plans for a divorce.
You don’t have to take a formalized course, but it doesn’t hurt to know these things before you submit to the role of homemaker.
Your educational strengths and weaknesses
Forget divorce. This could also apply if your spouse died unexpectedly. What would you do to earn a living and take care of whatever family is in your care if your spouse dropped dead of a heart attack tomorrow? More than what WOULD you do, what COULD you do? In other words, what skills and training have you had that would be of use in earning a paycheck? How can you build on that now so you’re not caught off-guard?
Your available assets
What assets do you have a right to at least some portion of? Many states split retirement accounts and other assets 50/50. But you have to know what assets are at your disposal before you can fight for them. Do you have a 401k, an IRA, life insurance policies? Conversely, what debts are there that would be your responsibility in the event of a death or divorce?
Think what you will about the motivation behind Ms. Fields’ statement that she will “find a new husband” after the divorce, but it highlights a concern many spouses, who depend on their significant other, need to have. What would you do if tomorrow came and you were on your own?
[Image via Facebook]