Should I not Get a Second Job during my Divorce to Save Money on Child Support and Alimony?
When you’re going through a divorce, you’re often afraid about the future.
How much time will I have with the kids?
How much debt will I have?
Will I have enough money to live on?
About that last question, when people crunch the numbers, they often find that after child support and alimony, they won’t have much to live on.
To deal with this, they think about getting another job to increase income.
Then, these thoughts creeps in their minds: “If I get a second job and increase my income, will I have to pay more in child support and alimony? Maybe I shouldn’t increase my income until after the divorce is finished.”
So, what of these thoughts? Should you not get a second job?
My answer has always been: yes, you should get a second job and increase your income during your divorce.
Here’s my reasoning:
- A Utah judge is unlikely to include the additional income in child support or alimony calculations.
Child support is almost always based on one full-time job. If you have a second part-time job, that income will not be included in the child support calculation.
Alimony is based on the incomes you and your wife had when you separated. Since almost everyone separates (stops living together) before they file for divorce, it’s unlikely a court will include income from a second job in an alimony calculation.
- Even is a judge were to include additional income, you’ll still come out ahead.
Even if a judge were to include additional income in child support or alimony calculations, the amount paid out would only be a fraction of the additional income.
Let me use an example. If you took a second job and made an additional $2000 per month, you would probably pay out $500 of that in child support or alimony. So, you would still have $1500 more dollars than if you didn’t take the second job.
Conclusion
You’ll always come out ahead in your divorce by making more money. Go, get that second job.
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