I Have two Jobs; Will they both Count toward Alimony?

Bob has been working a couple jobs to make ends meet for a while.

Working two jobs was never easy, and it put a strain on his marriage, but Bob didn’t realize how big that strain was.

Then his wife said she wanted to get divorced.

Bob felt stuck. He took the second job to make enough to support his family, and now he feels like he has to keep it, otherwise, he won’t be able to afford living apart.

Then, Bob’s wife told him he’d have to pay more in alimony because of his second job.

That scared Bob, and he wondered if what she said was true.

Is it?

Unlike Utah child support, which is almost always calculated on one forty-hour-per-week job, alimony is calculated on all income sources.

This means if you have income coming from rental homes, or trusts, or second jobs, those could be included in alimony.

So, yes, a second job could be included, which would mean Bob may pay more in alimony.

I understand, this seems unfair to Bob.

He didn’t want to take the second job in the first place. Now, he may be stuck with it even after divorce.

You’re right, that is probably unfair. Thankfully, depending on the situation, there’s a good chance Bob will not be forced to keep the second job.

For example, if keeping the second job means Bob won’t be able to spend much time with his kids, the court will probably let him quit, and then won’t include the second job in Bob’s alimony calculation.

Another example: if Bob didn’t have the second job for that long, there’s not much chance the court will include it in the alimony calculation.

So, whether Bob will have to pay more because he has a second job very much depends on Bob’s particular circumstances.

That’s where sitting down with an experienced divorce lawyer to discuss things will really help Bob determine what he will pay in alimony.