Starting the process

[DonH]

I don’t know much about the whole area of Maintenance or spouse support - other than it often appears to be very unfair but from what I can tell, I agree with your thinking. She clearly has the ability to support herself with a PhD and work history. If she chooses to do otherwise that’s HER choice and you should not have to fund her choices. Clearly this is an area for your attorney to advise you in. If it’s important to you that your children not be in daycare and you want your ex w to watch them during the day then certainly you need to help fund that. However if you are fine with day care and she is not then it’s up to her to decide if she wants to work or be a stay at home mom. But she lost the choice to have you fund that when she chose to D you. I’d fight this strongly. She needs to work like many moms do - again unless YOU chose to support her being a stay at home mom. She should not get to call that shot. Of course what I think and what the courts do are often vastly different. I just think spouse support is for those who do not have the capacity to earn what is needed due to PRIOR family decisions. A mom that never worked and did not get an education in favor of taking care of the home and kids is one thing. A mom who has the education and has worked but now would rather not is another. That’s what marriage is for (in part) and she gave that up.