Invoiced Divorce: Wife Wants Back Pay For Housework

[mysteriew]

An Indiana woman is trying to get a paycheck for hours of work she did as a wife.

She's divorcing her husband and said she's sending him a bill for almost $500,000 for housework she says she did and kept track of over the years.

Kathy Thompson appeared on ABC's "Good Morning America" three years ago when she went on strike in an effort to get her husband to help out more around the house.

After five years of marriage to Gary Thompson, Kathy said she's trying to be reasonable. She's filing for divorce, but isn't asking for a normal alimony payment.

Kathy has drawn up an itemized bill with what she believes Gary owes her after their time together. http://www.channelcincinnati.com/family/4771136/detail.html

 

[Casshew]

Hmmm... I think Gary should get pain and suffering damages for being married to that chick :hand:

 

[Sally]

What a whack job.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

If she had an outside job, maybe. However, if he paid all the other bills, then nope. That was her contribution to the household. She got what she settled for and now she's bitter.

 

[CyberLaw]

I think this is a great idea. You go girl. Get every penny you can get to be compensated for the "free" work that your provided this person over five years. After all maids do get paid.

You were his wife, not his Mom, you were 50% of this marriage not a unpaid maid.

He is not the "king" of the castle who expects to be catered to at every whim.

Too bad an unpaid job as wife and mother comes without pension, vacation, perks, benefits, and compensation and that job generally lasts from 7 a.m. to 11 pm. 7 days a weeks.

When I was home with my kids, my husband was similar to this guy. So when my husband went on vacation for a week, so did I.

So his vacation was doing my job and my vacation was taking his vacation.

No golfing, no puttering around the house tinkering, no nights out with the boys. No drinking beer in front of the TV.

It was three kids, activities, homework, friends, cooking, cleaning, shopping.

When I got back, he had a WHOLE new appreciation and respect for me.

Enen though our kids told me that Grandma was over every day helping him do his "job".

I came back all relaxed and refreshed. He looked a bit frazzled. Especially with all the work he did, and no paycheque to show for it. He told me how hard his week was. I told him, I do it everyday, everyweek. You only had a week...........

He was glad to return to work, it was easier for him, and a paycheque to boot.

Now since I am working full time, he pitches in and does 50%(thereabouts) of the unpaid job that benefits both of us and our kids.

I told him M is for Mother, not for Maid.

This women's husband sound like a lazy, slob who devalues and does not respect women, who views a womens place as in the home serving her man, catering to his every whim and wish.

He just sits back and says: Wife fetch me another beer, where is my dinner, why are my socks mismatched, clean up the beer I just spilt. Mop the floor, cook my dinner, do my laundry, clean the bathroom, what do you think I keep you around for, other then to be my unpaid maid/slave.

It is not like you actually "earn" money by going out and having to "work".I just expect you to "work" by doing all of the unpaid work at home.

II am the man and you are just expected to ensure that I can still "earn a paycheque" by being my wife/slave and releasing me from all of the "unpaid" necessary chore, that benefits me as the "breadwinner".

I hope that she suceeds.

After all you are the women.........In 1913 women spent 56 hours of their time on unpaid work and as at 1996 women STILL spent 52.2 hours a week on unpaid work.

Housework is no fun, why do you think that men don't do it and leave it up to the women to do, god forbid that a man actualy has to put a load of wash in the washer or mow the lawn. He rather go fishing.

 

[mysteriew]

When my ex and I split up, a friend (who was working out some things in her own life) moved in with me for a couple of months. I never realized that men had it so good. I came home from work, dinner was on the table. If I wanted to go to bed early or go out for the night- I did. House got cleaned, kids were cared for, laundry done, I was free to participate or zone out as needed. Guys got it made! It certainly made me realize how much guys take for granted, as before my friend moved in- that was what I was doing! I tried to get her to stay, I really did. I told her I needed a wife!

 

[sue1017]

This is insanity but some resolution should be obtained. Since they were married for 5 years.

MOO,

S

 

[Jeana (DP)]

This is insanity but some resolution should be obtained. Since they were married for 5 years.

MOO,

S

She's entitled to 50% of the marital assets. I dont' see how she can ask for any more than that. If she was like most of the women on this forum, she would have worked at least an 8-hour day out of the house, did all the cooking, all the cleaning, member of the PTA, Girlscout leader, takes the kids to piano lessons, t-ball games and then comes home and gives it good to her husband every night - and you don't see any of the members here beyotching.

 

[vicktor]

Rather than asking the legal sjstem to help her, maybe she should chaLK this experience up to learning. Otherwise next time she gets married she might want a pre-nup agreement, and scare the guy off.

 

[Marine Mom]

She sounds like a lazy complainer who would rather moan and cry than get off the couch and get'er done.

 

[CyberLaw]

Apparently this women went on strike three years(2 years into the marriage) in an effort to get her husband to "help more around the house".

In 2002, all she wanted was for her husband to help around the house(rather than his frequent fishing trips) and for the wife to get a few nights out of the house.

After all maids do get "time off".

The stike ended when the "wonderful" hubby showed up with flowers, plans for a vacation and dinner. He "killed two birds" with one stone, it was their anniversary. So he tied in their anniversary with her strike. Sounds like he just wanted to "scam" her and get her back to work for him all the while celebrating their anniversary. Ummmmm, what is wrong with that picture.

Apparently "changes" in the marriage were short lived(no kidding, I am shocked) he went back to his old "my wife is my maid/slave ways."

So the wife does 100% of the work, while the hubby does 0.

Hubby goes fishing and out with the boys and the wife gets to mow the lawn, cook, clean, wash and work part time to boot.

She mows the lawn, he sits back with a beer in his hand on the porch(with a big steaming plate of dinner, that she cooked for him) and gets to tell her "you missed a spot, and when you are finished, take this plate into the kitchen, get me another beer, and I left all of my dirty clothes on the floor in the bedroom for you to pick up and wash. After that you will wash my car, go shopping, clean the house. But get me another beer before you do that though. After all I am just doing nothing but relaxing on the porch.

I am going fishing with the boys tomorrow, so pack my gear and clothes and make sure you pack enough food for the trip, take my car in the mechanic and ensure it has enough gas for the trip.

When I come back from my nice carefree, relaxing time with the boys, you will need to unpack for me, wash my "fishy" clothes, make me dinner, and clean the fish. I will just grab a beer and put my feet up on the porch. Oh the lawn needs to be mowed again, when are you going to do that?

i am just going to sit back and relax and reap the benefits of you being my maid/slave. I do nothing, you do everything. Boy being married is great, I don't have to do anything at all.

Well that certainly sounds fair to me. One partner in a marriage does 100% and the other does 0., but reaps the benefits and rewards of the other "partners" domestic servitute without a day off or a night out.

Wow......time warp back to the 1960............

I thought a marriage(silly me) is about being equal partners, with one partner supporting and helping the other person. Respecting the other person, respecting their rights and not taking them for granted and treating them as "chattel".

Silly me, now I realize it is about a women's servitute to a man being a maid/slave,with no time off and no breaks. Right, marriage = maid.

I forgot that women where put on this earth to serve men, play maid/slave and have kids.

Silly me and I went to University to get two degrees, when all that I was put on earth for was to be a maid and mother.

If my husband was like this guy, if he did not contribute his "fair share" to the household, I would have hired a maid and sent the bill to him.

After all maids do need to earn a living and they are not expected to work for free.

This guy needs his Mommy to move in with him, take care of him, after all who else is going to clean up after this guy for free, not his wife anymore.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

If my husband was like this guy, if he did not contribute his "fair share" to the household, I would have hired a maid and sent the bill to him.

After all maids do need to earn a living and they are not expected to work for free.

This guy needs his Mommy to move in with him, take care of him, after all who else is going to clean up after this guy for free, not his wife anymore.

I agree. Went I went back to work, we hired a housekeeper. The woman in the story picked this guy, she has no one to blame but herself. After taking him back two yers ago??!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HELLO!~!!!!! I mean come ON. She knew he wasn't going to change!!!!!

 

[Marine Mom]

The woman didn't have the part-time job when they got married. If she's not going to work outside the home, then being a homemaker IS her full-time job, IMO. I don't see mention of children or childcare fees on her invoice. So, who was she cleaning up after all day?

I'm going fishing.

 

[CyberLaw]

I don't recall reading if this man had a job. i don't recall what he earned either.

A full time "homemaker"(quaint outdated term from the 1960's) job does not come with health insurance, overtime pay, standards of work, labour laws, minimum wage, time off or promotions.

Wow what a great "job" that is. .

Let me see here: Miminum wage in ID is $5.15 x 52.5 hours a week = 270.00 per week.

But wait, this women only gets room and board and the occassional "pocket" change trown to her by her "wonderful" husband.

Boy that is a great deal for him.

She had no choice but to seek a part time job with a paycheque so she can have some money of her own.

So now she has a job that does not bring home a paycheque(but provides her with food and a place to sleep) but now, alas, she can actually buy a coffee, a pair of shoes for herself instead of "asking" her husband for money to buy essential and needed items for herself.

This guy needs to move back home to Mommy.

My husband turned to me yesterday and said: Honey, can you go into the kitchen and get me a glass of lemonaid. I had a hard day and want to relax.

I looked down at his legs. Commented that they were not broken. If I am gong into the kitchen I will gladly get you a glass of lemonaid. But right now, I am not thirsty.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

Dang girl!!! LOL Get the poor guy a glass of lemonaid!!!

 

[CyberLaw]

When I go to the kitchen to get something for myself, I also offer.

I am going to the kitchen to get a glass of lemonaid, do you want one.?

But asking is another question. Unless disabled or ill. Or I feel like it.

Trust me I have learned the hard way......give a milimete, he will take a kilometer.

For the non-metric: Give an inch, take a mile.

Like the time: He decided to hard boil some eggs. He thought he would save time by putting them in the microwave. BIG, BIG, Mistake.

Boom. Blew the hinged door open. He walked away from little pieces of hard boiled(exploded into tiny, tiny pieces) in the microwave, floor, wall. Then he tries to blame the kids.

I knew the kids would never just leave this mess, but he would.

We had a serious talk that night..............BIG TIME. I explained to him that M is for Mother, not for maid.

 

[*02]

We had a serious talk that night..............BIG TIME. I explained to him that M is for Mother, not for maid.

Can you come and talk to my family Cyberlaw?
I am almost positive that I have a big sign on the back of all of my shirts that says MAID.

My kids sure think so- what I don't get though- since they were old enough to walk and communicate I have made them pick up their own mess, etc. but they still seem to think that it is my job.

 

[CyberLaw]

If I came down to Texas and spoke to your family, I don't think they would like my "attitude" of family responsibility and taking away priviledges.

I am sure your family will say: Mom, when is she leaving...........get her out of here........send her back to Canada......LOL

 

[Jeana (DP)]

Jodieo, I'm in Texas. I'll come and take care of them kids for ya! My garage needs to be cleaned out. :woohoo:

 

[CyberLaw]

Jodieo:

How about Jenna and I give you a vacation. Your kids can clean out her garage and then send them up to Canada for a little Housework 101 summer camp.

Don't worry, when they return to Texas they won't be saying "Eh", Lol, but they might ask you for Poutine and maple syrup.