Northern Kentucky Family Law Blog

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs in Kentucky and around the country help nearly 40 million people put food on the table, and many of them are children. Studies reveal that 37% of the children in the United States who have a parent living outside the home live below the poverty line, and many of these children rely on food stamps to eat because their noncustodial parents do not make child support payments.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service is tasked with administering SNAP programs, and it recently sent a memo to state directors urging them to implement child support cooperation provisions that are authorized by SNAP regulations and the 2015 Food and Nutrition Act. These provisions allow states to deny food stamps to custodial and noncustodial parents who do not cooperate with child support agencies, but only a handful of states enforce them.

Like many people in Kentucky who divorce, you may have expected that you would encounter challenges during your transition from living in a single-family household to adapting to a new lifestyle under separate roofs. From working out custody issues to deciding what to do with your house, the negotiation process is a critical factor toward achieving a fair and agreeable settlement.

Even if you and your spouse are on amicable terms, it's a good idea to carefully consider your current financial situation and also what you might expect regarding finances down the line. The more you prepare ahead of time for your post-divorce financial future, the easier your transition might be. Any number of legal issues can arise regarding finances, as well, which is why it pays to know where to seek support if you don't feel equipped to handle a particular problem on your own.

Even if a married individual in Kentucky has never worked or has a low income, they can still collect up to half of their spouse's Social Security benefits. This right doesn't necessarily go away simply because a marriage ends. If a couple was legally wed for at least 10 years, a former spouse can collect on their ex's record even if he or she has remarried provided they are still single and 62 or older. The ex must also be eligible for Social Security and have benefits greater than what their former spouse would receive.

If a divorced spouse meets these requirements, their Social Security benefits may be equal to half of their ex's full retirement amount or disability benefit, as long as they are at full retirement age. Benefits taken at the minimum age of 62 will be slightly less. Also, a former spouse divorced for at least two years may still be able to receive benefits from an eligible ex's record even if they haven't applied for them.

While many couples in Kentucky aim for dual incomes and strong earnings and consider that women can earn just as much or more than men, social pressures and lingering sexism can undermine their marriages. One study indicated that marriages in which the wives earn more than their husbands are 33% likelier to end in divorce. These marriages are increasingly common since, according to federal labor statistics, around 38% of wives make more money than their husbands. However, federal analysis also shows that when these couples respond to surveys, they are likely to overestimate his income and underestimate her income.

The reasons for these issues can be complex. Despite vast social changes in recent decades, social expectations and stereotypes persist that put pressure on men to be the major income earner in a marital relationship. Men may feel emasculated or suffer a lack of confidence due to their lower earnings. Even in relationships where the wife respects her husband's contribution regardless of income, this dynamic can be strongly detrimental. These husbands may behave in controlling ways toward their high-earning wives, pushing them away and towards divorce. Other issues are common with other couples of mixed incomes, such as the higher-earning partner excluding the lower-earning spouse from financial decisions.