Husband a banded me I do not have a job, and do not want a divorce, does he have to pay alimony , married for 18 years

First, if one party wants a divorce, there is going to be a divorce. This is because to get a divorce in Washington, all it requires is that one party swear that the marriage is "irretrievably broken." As to the issue of alimony (maintenance), you may be entitled to that. There are a number of factors that the court looks at when deciding whether to grant maintenance. Some of these are: the duration of the marriage; each party's work history, education, and health; and each party's need and ability to pay. You should discuss the matter with a family law attorney to fully evaluate these factors.

I'm sorry to hear about your current situation. Whether or not spousal maintenance (alimony) is ordered in a case depends on the specific facts of that particular relationship. The primary thing the Court will likely look at is the length of the marriage, the earning capacity of both parties, and the wages both parties were earning during the life of the marriage. Given the length of your marriage, you certainly may be able to receive spousal maintenance if the other facts present in your case support it. If there are children under the age of 18 involved, the court will also address setting up a residential schedule for the children, and potentially the issue of child support. If you don't have the finances to retain an attorney, you may want to contact the Volunteer Lawyer's Program here in Clark County, or the YWCA, for some brief free legal assistance through the process. Some local family law attorneys also may offer "unbundled" legal services to assist you with preparation of paperwork and explaining the process on an hourly basis, which can sometimes be a more affordable approach. Feel free to get in touch with my office via email or phone if you would like to discuss your case further during free consultation. Best of luck to you going forward.

You cannot obtain any kind of monetary relief unless there is a court action. In your case there are only two types: Dissolution of Marriage or Legal Separation. However, a Legal Separation has some very real issues that need to be researched carefully. In the meantime, you have to file a lawsuit to get a court order. It is highly likely that the court will order alimony for some period of time. There are several factors but the most important for you is length of marriage and lack of prior employment. Other factors include age, health factors, standard of living and, most important, ability to pay. You could have every need in the world but if he has no ability to pay you will not receive alimony.