A Justification of Alimony in the Public Interest
Utah Journal of Family Law, Vol. 1, 2010
18 Pages Posted: 28 Jan 2014
Date Written: 2010
Abstract
The continuing need for alimony awards has come under debate. Given that a majority of women with children under eighteen work outside the home, the justification of awarding alimony may seem suspect, and in fact, alimony has become less common. However, it should not be forgotten that homemaking responsibilities are a source of productive labor in society and should be recognized as such and duly compensated. Homemaking saves the public treasury significant costs, and it directly generates valuable social capital. Because of its valuable contributions to society, it is justifiable to award alimony in order to protect the many women who dedicate time to homemaking, whatever the percentage. However, it is the individual woman’s choice, in consultation with her family, to decide how much time to dedicate to homemaking.
Keywords: Alimony, Homemaking
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