I am currently unemployed and have been for a year and a half. I worked at that job for about a year and a half. Before that I was unemployed for several years, as all of the manufacturing jobs disappeared from our area. Our marriage has been strained for a while due to the unemployment situation, which led me to a state of depression. We have been married for 23 years. I finally decided to go back to college to get a 2 year degree, with my wife’s encouragement. I asked her repeatedly if we were going to be ok for me to go to school. She always said “Yes, please go to school and don’t worry about it.” Even after I started classes, I asked her if we were ok for the next 2 years. She always said yes. 2 months into the first semester, she sits down and says that we are through. Now, my unemployment will run out in a few weeks. I barely have the money to cover my bills with the unemployment I receive. When it runs out, I have no income. I have tried to sit down with her to discuss us as a couple for about 2 months now. She will not do that. I want us to go to a counselor but she refuses. I make in $602/month unemployment. She makes $3195/month. She works in a dental office for 32 hours per week. I should also mention that I supported her while she was going to college to get her degree. I had to work a lot of overtime to pay the bills then.
My questions are these… Am I entitled to alimony or post separation support? If so, how long am I eligible for it? What would the approximate amount be?