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Divorcing as a stay-at-home mom is possible

On Behalf of | Oct 1, 2021 | Family Law

Many Minnesota residents may have loved their years as a stay-at-home mom. You may have felt overjoyed by the fact that your spouse’s salary would allow you to take care of the household necessities and raise your children without having to opt for daycare. Like many, you may have felt that being a mom was your calling in life. 

While this arrangement may have seemed ideal for a time, now that you and your spouse have decided to divorce, you may understandably have some concerns. After all, you likely have not generated your own income in years, and now, you will be on your own. While you may receive alimony and child support if you are the custodial parent, financial worries may still affect you. 

Can you get what you want? 

First, it is important to know that being a stay-at-home mom does not mean that you are not entitled to getting a divorce or that you should settle for less in the process because you did not work outside the home. The process may be difficult, and you may have to fight at times for what you deserve, but it is not impossible.  

On that same note, you may want to remain realistic about what you can afford to keep. For example, you may want to keep the family home because you have so many memories there with your children and it is where they call home. However, if you cannot afford the mortgage, home insurance, property upkeep and other expenses that come along with that particular house, you may want to consider downsizing and allowing your spouse to keep the home or agreeing to sell and split the proceeds. 

Work on your finances 

divorce is something that can throw you for a loop, and your life may change substantially. In particular, you may need to pay much more attention to your financial situation than you did before. Some tips for helping address those matters include the following: 

  • Getting back into the workforce, even if just part time 
  • Building up an emergency savings in case an unexpected event occurs 
  • Building your credit if it is not already in a good place, which could happen if all of your assets were in your spouse’s name 

You may also want to remember that you are not alone. It may seem as if you will soon have to be handling every aspect of your life by yourself, but reaching out to family, friends and professionals when things seem overwhelming may help.