Divorce goes to the Horses - A British Appeals court has upheld a divorce court’s order requiring a husband to pay £50,000 (approximately $93,000) in annual maintenance to support his ex-wife and her three horses.  Essentially the appellate court applied a concept similar to California’s marital standard of living analysis, which in-short, allows a court to enter a support order that maintains an ex-spouses standard of living as closely as possible to the standard of living that existed during marriage. The Court’s opinion stated:

I do not think that this [is] one of those cases where the wife has to go out to work all the hours she can, or re-train for a job which she does not particularly enjoy, simply to lessen the burden on the husband.

I think that for the next two or three years at least, and I can not look further ahead than that, she is entitled to share in the husband’s success, and live as nearly as possible in the way in which she lived during the marriage.

I love the court’s comment that the ex-wife shouldn’t have to work as much as possible to lessen her husband’s burden of supporting her!  I think I’m moving to the UK and getting hitched to an investment banker!! (lol)

Japan’s Modern Break-up Artists go Under Cover - Over the years I have heard rumors that Japanese wives accepted their husbands’ infidelity and even packed condoms for their business trips.  Those rumors were never confirmed, but given the historically male dominated Japanese culture, seemed plausible and disturbing. I could never quite understand why a woman would tolerate such behavior if it wasn’t her preference, but I knew that cultures and marriages differed and I refused to judge these women. That said, today I let out a little “YOU GO GIRL!” cheer when I read more news about how Japanese wives are fighting back and doing what they must to get out of bad, and sometimes dangerous, marriages.  This divorce news story tells you what, why and how they are regaining their freedom with a little undercover help from women. Disclaimer: I don’t condone or recommend you apply any of the methods or techniques set forth in this article.