This is not your father’s workplace when it comes to time off for dads after the birth of a child. Your dad probably had to use a personal day or vacation day for the birth of each child, and was expected back at work the next business day, passing out cigars, then his nose was right to the grindstone.
Maternity leave is one of those topics you leave on the back burner until it is time to deal with it; after all, if you’re not pregnant, or planning on becoming pregnant soon, why worry about any benefits or returning to your former position after the birth of your baby, right?
Did you know the United States is one of only three countries left in the world that fails to guarantee paid maternity leave? The others are Papua, New Guinea and Oman.
All our lives we acquire and lose things. We buy, we sell, trade and borrow. We spend all day at jobs to buy the things we desire. It’s not only physical things that we acquire however. We also acquire retirement plans, bank accounts, investments, and debts. We gain some of these things before marriage and some during. If and when these marriages come to an end assets must be divided between spouses. This is never easy and it’s important to understand your rights so that you receive a fair settlement. It’s wise to get a good understanding of exactly what the value of all these assets are and to hire some professionals such as an attorney and an accountant or actuary to help with this process.
Huge changes come with divorce across all aspects of life. Your finances are certainly not immune and it’s important to understand and protect your pension rights. Couples already in or approaching retirement will find this to be even more important. Couples will typically have all sorts of assets but retirement plans and funds are often one of the largest. They must be divided fairly and in accordance with the law. It’s critical to understand your divorce pension rights when dividing these assets; otherwise it will be extremely difficult to ensure you get your fair share. Don’t let your divorce ruin all that you have worked for and saved toward retirement!
