Gay Former Governor Does not have to Pay Alimony....

Former NJ Governor Jim McGreevey, who has admitted he is gay, does not have to pay alimony to his former wife, Dina Matos. A judge did rule that he must pay child support for his 6 year old daughter in the amount of $1075 per month.

I was very surprised at this ruling because the main issue of the divorce trial was whether or not Mr. McGreevey was purposely underemployed. Judges can impute wages to people they feel are not earning what they are capable of in a divorce case and I assumed that Mr. McGreevey would be imputed income, considering he was once making several hundred thousand dollars per year but now claims to be "poor". He wants to be a priest and has even turned down a lucrative offer from a NJ radio station to host his own radio show.

The judge actually said that McGreevey was being supported by his rich boyfriend while studying at a seminary to be a priest and, therefore, didn't need employment to support himself. So the former governor still gets to live a life of luxury, courtesy of his lover, while his daughter only gets $1,075 per month? Why is this man allowed to under employ himself when he has children to support? The judge knows he is capable of earning more ,yet is allowing him to dramatically reduce his income.

I recently coached a woman, also from NJ, who has been a stay at home mom for 13 years with no skills, no income and two children with special needs, yet the judge in her divorce case feels she should be imputed income, meaning whether she has a job or not, the judge will come up with an amount he feels she can earn and that figure will be used when calculating child support.

Mr. McGreevy gets to minimally support his daughter to pursue a career that does not pay well just because he has a rich boyfriend and this woman has to go out and find a job, when with her skills, she will be lucky to make $10 per hour?

This is just another example of what can happen if you cannot settle your divorce and you put your trust in the family court system. You are at the mercy of judges, lawyers and a system that is not always fair and just. The lesson here is clear. If there is anyway to resolve your divorce is an amicable and fair manner, do it. You may not be so lucky in court.

Former NJ Governor is a Deadbeat Dad...

Former New Jersey Gov. James E. McGreevey is $11,000 behind in child support for the child he had with his first wife, despite the fact that he lives in a mansion owned by his gay partner and claims to owe his boyfriend more than $200,000 for legal fees and expenses.

If he can borrow that kind of money from his partner, shouldn't he borrow the money to pay his child support first? Isn't the needs of his child more important than the court battle with his second wife?

McGreevey claims to only make about $48,000 a year now. He has said that no one wants to hire him because he is gay, yet the radio station 101.5 in NJ revealed they had offered him a job as a radio host that the former Governor has turned down.

Although he claims that he does want to pay child support to his two daughter from his two failed marriages, it is obvious that McGreevey does not want to fulfill his obligations as a parent. It seems that is own needs come first. He is on record as earning $429,000 in 2006 and $185,000 last year. He has the potential to earn a substantial income and I hope the judge in his divorce case forces him to start paying child support. He needs to be made an example of. The message needs to be clear: No parent has the right to neglect their children and refuse to support them financially.