Morgan v. Morga

366 N.Y.S.2d 977 (1975)

Facts

H and W were married on January 27, 1967, when H was in his third-year pre-law course at the University of North Carolina and the wife, a sophomore, studying biology, at the Florida State University. They agreed it would be preferable for H to finish his undergraduate and law school education while W worked. She commenced working full time, earning a monthly salary of $328 until the day before she gave birth to a son, on August 9, 1967. She resumed working a few months later, in January 1968, on a part-time basis, took care of her own and other children, on an exchange basis, and did typing at home for students, as well as H's theses. This continued until she and H separated in October 1972. W become very proficient at shorthand and typing and also worked as a data analyst. W is very skilled and, as an executive secretary or technician, could probably command an annual salary of at least $10,000 in a normal economy and, very possibly, even in the present employment market. In February 1973, W returned to the campus to pursue a full-time educational career by undertaking a premedical course at Hunter College and her grades have been exceptional -- a 3.83 general average (out of a 4.0 maximum) and an A score in the organic chemistry course, ranking 5th in a class of 70. H became an associate at a prominent Wall Street law firm. His starting salary, in August, 1972 was $18,000 per annum with $500 increases on November 1, 1972, March 1, 1973, April 1, 1973, a $ 3,500 increase on November 1, 1973, a $ 1,500 increase on May 1, 1974 with the most recent increase of $3,000 on November 1, 1974, to a present salary level of $27,500. In all, he has done well, and his future appears very promising.