Full question:
I am a resident of Wyoming. My wife and I are living separately. She is living well under the support of a public welfare fund. Am I now obliged to provide her support? What will be the legal consequences if I did not provide any support and maintenance to my wife?
- Category: Husband and Wife
- Subcategory: Duty to Support
- Date:
- State: Wyoming
Answer:
In Wyoming, a husband who refuses to provide adequately for the support and maintenance of his wife is guilty of a crime, and upon conviction thereof, shall be punished with a fine not exceeding seven hundred fifty dollars ($ 750.00), imprisonment for not more than six (6) months, or both. Support of spouse by public welfare funds is not a lawful excuse for the husband to refuse to provide support under this section.Wyo. Stat. § 20-3-101 reads as:
“(a) Any spouse who, without just cause or lawful excuse, deserts the other spouse or fails or refuses to provide adequately for the support and maintenance of the other spouse and who at the time of leaving, failure or refusal is or thereafter becomes in necessitous circumstances is guilty of a crime, and upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding seven hundred fifty dollars ($ 750.00), imprisonment for not more than six (6) months, or both.
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(d) Support of spouse or child by public welfare funds or from any source other than from the other spouse or parent as the case may be, is not just cause or lawful excuse for the spouse or parent to fail to provide support under this section.
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(d) Support of spouse or child by public welfare funds or from any source other than from the other spouse or parent as the case may be, is not just cause or lawful excuse for the spouse or parent to fail to provide support under this section.
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In the instant case, you may need to provide support and maintenance to your wife. Support of spouse by a public welfare funds is not a lawful excuse to refuse to provide support.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.
