Alimony
In the 1970s, the United States Supreme Court ruled against gender bias in alimony awards.  That means that men could get alimony from their wives, not only women from husbands. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the percentage of male alimony recipients rose from 2.4% in 2001 to 3.6% in 2006. In states like Massachusetts and Louisiana, the salaries of new spouses may be used in determining the alimony paid to the previous partners. Most recently, in several high-profile divorces, women such as Britney Spears, Victoria Principal, and Jessica Simpson have paid multimillion-dollar settlements instead of alimony to ex-husbands. According to divorce lawyers, aggressive pursuit of spousal support by men is becoming more common, as the stigma associated with asking for alimony fades.