For the many moms I see whose marriages are ending when they are in their ’40s or ’50s and they have been out of the workforce for many years, I wonder whether this advice might have been useful:
If you are one of those stay-at-home parents now trying to figure out how to secure your post-marriage financial future, this advice to negotiate before giving up your career comes too late. But you needn’t face your fears and your future alone, and you needn’t resent your wage-earner former spouse because he is now economically advantaged. This is a time for cooperation and planning — working together to ascertain and meet your needs, your spouse’s needs, and your children’s needs. You’re likely going to need to get back into the work force, and your path might be totally new to you. A good vocational counselor can guide you. A good Collaborative Law professional team, with everyone working together, can support both you and your spouse so that fear and conflict don’t undermine the ability of the two of you to make the most of your assets, financial and otherwise.
