Have you been divorced? Did you have a prenup? How did separating property go? Was it amicable or did you spouse demand half? I've heard how people divorced and it cost them dearly
do you still have to pay alimony/child support if you move to another country?
Legally yes- you won’t be able to come back to the USA without getting arrested. It’s not likely You will be extradited for this however. But if you have any assets in the USA the court can seize those.
So why did they get married if there's such huge risk
If you are working and your spouse is not, they get half. Almost always.
If the divorce is contested, right?
Doesn’t have to be contested. The courts hold that Your spouse sacrificed their career for yours, so they are entitled to half of everything you made. Plus, unless you specifically separate your pre-marital assets, everything you own in your name alone is half theirs as well. I went through this. It was very painful and expensive
I was pretty wealthy when we married, my first wife ever had anything and never made any money. She still got half of everything, including half of what I had going into the marriage. I only got lucky that she was nice enough in that she didn’t go for half of my share of my family trust.
What should young people learn from this? Don't get married too early before you know they well, or try to find a partner that earn as much as you?
What state/country are you from?
TL;DR: you are fucked.
What happens when the spouse is cheating or she wants divorce for whatever reason? That is it is not just that things not working out and in frustration you divorce with non working spouse.
Cheating spouse still gets half. Is also entitled to alimony, despite cheating. I got lucky and was able to talk my ex out of alimony.
Does this apply to marriages from another country for couples living in the US?
Yes. Divorce law is based on the state you live in, in general.
If married in California and divorcing in California: all community property earned during marriage is split 50/50. Premarital assets are not split. You have to have a record of keeping them separate the whole marriage, however. I gave up my career and everything important to me to support my husband's career. He turned out to be a prick, so I am suing for every possible penny I might qualify for (e.g. alimony, lawyer costs). If he doesn't want to settle, I'm going to drag his ass to court, where he is going to have to pay stiff lawyer fees and court fees anyway. For me, it's the principle of the matter based on how poorly he treated me. Either way, he is going to feel the hurt financially.
Do you guys have kids? Why would you give up your career?
No kids. He wanted a very specific career (professor) and only managed to get 1 position: in China. We are not Chinese, so i don't speak the language, and FAANG company I was at did not have office there. Ironically, now that I'm back in the States, I'm making as much as he is.
Can't you guys just settle? Is he unwilling to work with you?
Well, he literally divorced me over a 2 sentence text message and never talked to me again. He hasn't answered the phone in months. Who in the hell does something like that to a person they married? I never did anything remotely egregious enough to warrant ghosting in such a manner. His behavior is absolutely shocking. My lawyer served him the settlement request yesterday. We'll see what happens.
Keep us posted please :)
Worthless bitch took everything
How did she take everything? What happened? Did she work?