Alimony is a pressing issue, particularly for women without economic independence. On the other hand, for divorced husbands, “lifelong” alimonies are a source of complaint. The Justice Ministry plans to revise the regulations on alimony payments, according to a report published by the Hürriyet newspaper on Tuesday. The issue is on the agenda of newly appointed Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ.
The newspaper reported that the new regulations would introduce time limits for alimony. For instance, a spouse will be required to pay alimony for five years to the other spouse if the two remained married for less than two years. Alimony limits will be 12 years at most for marriages that last for up to 10 years. If the spouse who has paid alimony still has financial difficulties after the expiration of the alimony period, the alimony will be extended for up to three years.
Legal experts point out that there is no “lifelong” alimony in Turkish laws and alimony payment requirements can be lifted by court order if a spouse has the financial means to sustain himself or herself. Yet, critics of current alimony practices – the majority of them men – claim that they are forced to pay alimony for years even if they were only married for a few months, have no children and have little financial means.
Hürriyet says a draft regulation would be presented to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for approval. The draft includes a change to the interpretation of current laws on the issue, including assessment of alimony based on income and jobs of the spouses.
Among other plans is ending child support payments for children of divorced couples if they are above 18 and have extra income. Currently, children stop receiving support payments once they pass the age of 18 unless they attend school. Under the new plans, older children will be exempt from child support if they both study and work.
It is unclear whether the support payments can be extended further after the final extension but the report, quoting officials from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), says the government might provide subsidies for spouses in need if their financial difficulties persist. The situation is particularly dire for homemakers who did not have a job, vocational training or education before they were married. In a country where women’s employment figures still lag behind men’s, finding a job for women above the average starting age of any job (around 20s) can be challenging.
On the other hand, data included in the same media report shows that 66% of alimonies go unpaid.
