The Moments Between Dreams by Judith F. Brenner

Author:Judith F. Brenner
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781626349346
Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press
Published: 2022-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

A jostling streetcar took me downtown to Tony’s office. He had sandwiches delivered. I could not recall the last time I tasted roast beef and pickles on dense caraway rye bread.

“What’s up, Sis?”

“Well, this is a tricky situation. And what I’m about to tell you is just between you and me. I simply need some information.”

“You’ve got me curious. What’s going on?”

“Well, um, it’s about Joe and me.”

“And?”

“Tony, I’m in a hopeless marriage. Joe and I no longer are in love. Far from it. He despises me, and I hate him for being despicable. I need to know what options there are. I mean, what’s possible in the court system.”

“Is he cheating on you?”

“No, nothing like that.”

“He’s hurting you, isn’t he? Am I right? Let me look at you. Is that a scar near your eyebrow? I won’t let him get away with this.”

“Let’s just say he’s controlling. And yes, he’s got a temper.”

“Did he hurt Ellie or Tommy?”

“Yes and no. I need to know what rights I have, in case—”

“Do you mind if I bring in my partner on this? He deals more with family law. He’d keep it confidential.”

I pulled my shoulders back to muster the nerve to share more with a stranger. “I don’t mind,” I lied. I had to get through this, and if it took telling my story to more men, I really didn’t have much choice.

Tony buzzed the secretary and asked her to summon John if he was available. While we waited, I was happy to devour my sandwich. When the door opened after a quick knock, John—the extremely tall John, with suspenders straining along his long torso and crisscrossing his back—pulled up a chair next to me. His knees hit the front of Tony’s magnificently large desk. His size made me realize how slight Joe was.

“Your client needs to know about divorce court?”

“Not a client, John. Let me introduce Carol, my lovely sister.”

“Nice to meet you, Carol.”

“She’s exploring divorce options on the QT. What are the trends you are seeing, John?”

“Leaving a marriage is risky for the wife, not the least because the common-law system of distributing property is according to title, which the husband typically holds. This alone can leave a wife destitute.”

“I see,” Tony said. I nodded along.

“Alimony gets awarded around twenty percent of the time. Some judges view alimony as a windfall for recipients and a crushing burden on those forced to pay.”

“What does that mean?” I asked.

“It means the husbands enjoy sympathy among judges. They don’t view wives as deserving help like getting monthly checks. Stats from 1950–52 indicate courts don’t over-penalize the men. When a wife wins a ruling on funds, the money is modest. Some judges in the Midwest see a request for alimony as somewhat greedy by a woman who instigated the divorce. Women are viewed as the cause of the breakdown of marriage. Husbands and their lawyers make the wives out to be scapegoats.”

I threw my hands up, distressed. “The system is rigged against women!”

“I agree.

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