By Ashley Hayner
Love is said to be a beautiful thing.
If you find it, don’t ever lose it. Many adore the idea of marrying their high school sweetheart or finding their significant other right after high school. Having a fairytale wedding is ideal for a lot of young women.
But what happens when you’ve spent what seems like an eternity with your lover and things just aren’t working out and you’re forced to call it quits? You should be able to walk away and that’s that.
But that’s not always the case.
An annoying law in place called alimony requires a person to continue to support their spouse either before or after marital separation.
Dr. Dre, founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, is currently undergoing a ghastly divorce battle with his wife of 24 years. Nicole Young demanded that Dr. Dre pay her $2 million a month in alimony.
Dr. Dre isn’t the only victim when it comes to outrageous demands. Other celebrities, including women, are ordered to pay ridiculous amounts in spousal support as well.
Kevin Dillon pays $7,214 a month to his ex-wife Jane Stuart. Singer and Grammy Award winner Mary J. Blige, who doesn’t even have children with her ex-husband Kendu Isaacs, is ordered to pay him $30,000 a month. Isaacs even asked for an increase of $65,000 a month due to his alleged inability to find decent work.
TV host and actress Aisha Tyler has been ordered to pay her ex-husband Jeff Tietgens $31,250 a month over the next four years, along with an additional $500,000. Actress and comedian Sherri Shepherd pays her ex-husband Lamar Sally $4,100 a month. The two were married just four years and share a child that Shepherd is not even the biological mother of.
Comedian and actor Mike Epps pays a hefty monthly spousal support totaling $109,000 a month due to his ex-wife Mechelle Epps having to pay for their three daughters’ private schools and birthday parties. She claimed that, at 36 years old, she is too old to find a job and foot the bill completely.
Most people get together because of romantic, mutually shared feelings for one another. But in many cases, spouses have other motives.
When getting romantically involved with someone, you should be with them because you love them, not because of the money. No one should have to pay thousands of dollars for wanting to go their separate ways, let alone any amount.
You must be cautious investing your love and time into anyone before you set anything in stone. Opt for a prenuptial agreement to protect your own assets and belongings.
A lot of people argue that opting for a prenup means that the love is not real. In the end, if you really love someone, why worry about a prenup? The material things “owed” to you should be the least of your worries.
Don’t end up like others who let friends and family influence their decisions. You know your relationship better than anybody. If there is no trust, get out while you still can. If you got with them when they were broke, you can leave the relationship broke.
If you’re leaving that person and no longer want to be with them, you leave the fancy cars and lifestyle too. Granted a man should pay child support even in the case of a divorce due to his wife’s infidelity. But he should not be charged with maintaining his cheating wife’s lifestyle.
Don’t be a victim of alimony. Get a prenup.