Divorced Dad Fights To Do Away With Spousal Support In California
HUNTINGTON BEACH (CBSLA.com) — Steve Clark never dreamed he'd be the voice of alimony reform.
But when the Huntington Beach dad says his contentious divorce ended in a $100,000 battle over alimony, referred to as spousal support in California, he decided something had to change.
"That money was spent on lawyers when it could've been spent on my daughter's education," Clark told CBS2/KCAL9's Stacey Butler.
He says the common divorce arrangement is unfair and should have been changed years ago: "Alimony is effectively divorce insurance for the lower-income earner."
Alimony laws were written at a time when most women didn't work, according to Clark, who added they now account for nearly half the workforce.
Clark said even though his wife worked, he's frustrated he has to pay alimony for the rest of his life, unless she gets remarried.
He started CalAlimonyReform.org, a grassroots organization to end alimony.
"Many people are just using it as a tool, a mechanism, to get more money from their spouse."
The IT consultant now has the official title and summary from the Attorney General's Office. All he needs are $365,000 signatures to put it on the state ballot.
The people Butler spoke with in Costa Mesa on Tuesday night said they would vote for the legislation.
Clark says alimony for stay-at-home moms should be judged on a case-by-case basis. His initiative suggests tapering 20 percent over a five-year period.