Stay at home Mom must get back to work...NOW!

My husband left the home a week ago. He had separation papers drawn up. I did not sign them and neither had he. I have an 11 year old son that stayed with me in the house. I worked FT prior to the child and when we had the child I took several years off from work, then I went back casual, working 1 shift a week. In November I lost my job and did not go back into the field but rather got some low paying office help work. I thought Id be at home with the family more. When I found out the husband wasnt happy , I quit that job to work on the marriage. Now, it appears the marriage is over and Im out of work.

  1. Madly looking for a job in my field so I can support myself. If I cant find one does hubby have to support me till I do?

To get alimony and/or post-separation support, you will need to prove to the court that you are a dependent spouse. From the facts you presented, I don’t think this will be a problem. You should be able to get some sort of support, which will help you out while you pursue employment again. I would advise against leaving the state with the child to get a job since he can file for emergency custody if you do so, which will cause you to immediately return to the state with your child. If a job offer necessitates such a move, I would only take it if you first obtained a signed Consent Order with your ex agreeing to the move. Otherwise, you need to stay in the state or you could risk losing custody. He’s technically not abandoned you since you are still currently being financially supported by him. As far as the likelihood of whether you will end up with 50/50 custodianship, I cannot say. Some courts favour it more than others, who follow a more traditional path. All cases vary too, and you can still get primary custody in any county in the state if you have evidence that such arrangement is in the best interest of the child.