William John Wallace, of California, was going through child support and custody hearings at the time, Orange County District Attorney (DA) said.
A private detective he hired alerted police to his request to kill his wife.
Mr Wallace, 36 and thought be from Walsall, in the West Midlands, got nine years for admitting attempted murder and solicitation to commit murder.
More updates on this and other stories in Birmingham and the Black Country
During the custody and child support court hearings in 2013, Mr Wallace, of Santa Ana, hired the private investigator to try to find negative information about his partner that could be used against her when child support payments would be decided.
He subsequently told the private investigator that he wanted his ex-wife killed and asked him if he knew of anyone who would do it and dispose of her body, the district attorney's office said.
The investigator informed police about Mr Wallace's request and on 21 December, Mr Wallace unknowingly met an undercover detective from the Orange County Sheriff's Department and offered him $30,000 to carry out the murder, giving him a photo of his wife for identification purposes.
Mr Wallace asked that the murder take place after 23 December as he would be leaving the US for Christmas, officials said.
A British man has been jailed in the US for offering an undercover detective $30,000 (Â£24,000) to kill his ex-wife.