For decades, many spouses step out of the workforce to raise children, support households, and enable their partner’s career. But when a marriage ends, these same spouses can suddenly find themselves without income, without access to marital resources, and without the financial stability needed to simply live — all while the divorce is pending.

 

This is exactly what happened to me. After dedicating over twenty years to raising our children, I now face divorce without the interim financial support necessary to meet even basic expenses. My spouse has the means to provide support, yet because temporary financial orders are not automatic, I have spent years struggling to cover housing costs, legal fees, and daily necessities. And I quickly learned I am far from alone.

 

Recently, my attorneys have sought to withdraw from my active case for unpaid fees, leaving me without effective representation. During this period of uncertainty, the other side has filed motions attempting to change custody and manipulate financial arrangements — taking advantage of the fact that temporary support is not automatically provided. This situation illustrates how the current system leaves non-monied spouses vulnerable to delays, coercion, and strategic disadvantage.

 

Despite being an educated professional and a trained lawyer, I have struggled to navigate this system. If someone with legal training cannot secure interim financial support, imagine how vulnerable non-monied spouses without legal expertise must be.

 

Across the country — including right here in New York — non-monied spouses routinely spend months, sometimes years, without any financial assistance while the divorce moves through the courts. This gap leaves families destabilized, forces people into debt, jeopardizes housing, and harms children who depend on stability. The current system puts countless spouses at risk simply because interim financial measures are not automatically ordered and often depend on timely filings, attorney action, or judicial availability.

 

It should not be possible for one spouse to control all marital finances while the other is left without the resources to live.

 

 

What Needs to Change

 

 

New York must enact legislation requiring automatic temporary financial support orders upon the filing of a divorce. These orders should:

 

Maintain the financial status quo
Ensure both spouses have access to marital resources
Provide interim support — including legal fees — until the case is resolved
Prevent financial coercion, delay tactics, or strategic deprivation

 

 

This reform costs taxpayers nothing, protects children, reduces emergency litigation, and creates a fairer, more efficient divorce process for everyone.

 

 

Why It Matters

 

 

When interim support is not automatic:

 

Non-monied spouses cannot pay rent, utilities, medical bills, or legal fees
Children’s daily needs become uncertain
Wealthier spouses can use financial control as leverage
Judges face unnecessary motions and crises
Families experience unnecessary instability during an already painful transition

 

 

Automatic financial orders would prevent these inequities and ensure no one is left financially stranded simply because they were the primary caregiver.

 

 

Your Voice Matters

 

 

By signing this petition, you are urging New York lawmakers and judicial leaders to adopt common-sense protections that uphold dignity, stability, and fairness during divorce.

 

Please join me in demanding automatic interim financial support orders — so no spouse or child has to endure avoidable hardship during one of life’s most vulnerable moments.