The Stay-at-Home Mother and Divorce

Divorce is a difficult adjustment for everyone who goes through it, but it represents a much more dramatic change for stay-at-home moms than for mothers who work outside the home, even part-time. 

Mothers rarely are able to stay at home full-time after divorce. Therefore, as soon as you suspect you will be divorcing, a stay-at-home mother should begin to prepare for work outside the home.

At our divorce mediation office in Doylestown, PA, we work with the divorcing couple to craft an agreement that takes the needs of young children in mind while helping parents find a financial solution.

Preparing for work

If you’re a stay-at-home mother going through a divorce, begin right away to prepare for work. Fortunately, nowadays, stay-at-home mothers re-entering the job market have many options. Questions to ask yourself include:

• What would I like to do?
• What skills do I have that can transfer into a professional setting or can be leveraged to make an income?
• What training might I need?
• What are my work options? Full or part-time? Work remotely, temp work, flex work, in-office, call center from home? Start my own business, gig economy, online business?
• Who do I know who may be able to help me get a foot in the door somewhere or who can give me some wise advice?
• What networking opportunities do I have?
• Are there local organizations that help people find jobs? 

Once you have a pretty clear idea of what your skills are and what you would enjoy doing, begin researching the different types of work options to find what works for you and the needs of your children. If you have little children, you may need to work from home, building your resume and skills so that you can eventually find something that will be more lucrative and interesting. 

If you’ve been out of the workforce for a while or you do not have well-honed professional skills, be prepared to start with a lower salary or a boring job until you have more marketable skills and a more interesting resume. However, don’t discount your years at home! Motherhood and running a home provide many marketable skills, particularly in the realm of management. Find a service that can help you improve your resume and highlight your strengths, such as PA Career Link, which offers free services and has a Bucks County branch.

Other things to think about

Open a separate bank account in your own name and begin saving a part of your income each paycheck. Start building your personal credit score, which may be low at the beginning. However, slow and steady wins the race, as the saying goes. Frequent small deposits will gradually grow.

Health insurance is another issue. You should try to obtain it through your employer, as once a divorce occurs, your spouse is no longer permitted to cover your health insurance.

Another option when negotiating a divorce agreement is for the stay-at-home mother to accept buy-out options of certain assets so that she has a nest egg to start with after the divorce. Wisely investing the money in an investment vehicle that offers dividends may give her a source of income as she builds her career.

At the Law Office and Mediation Services of Elissa C. Goldberg, we specialize in family law and work hard to help couples come to agreements that benefit both spouses and children. Contact us today at our Bucks County office at (215) 345-5259 for a complimentary consultation to help you negotiate an amicable divorce through mediation or collaboration.