As more men are receiving alimony payments from higher-earning ex-wives, they face the same "gold digging [1]" reputation that divorced women [2] either battle or embolden.

The Wall Street Journal yesterday profiled a number of formerly married couples [3] whose divorce terms awarded the man either a one-time payment or monthly alimony. According to the U.S. Census Bureau [4], 33% of wives outearned their husbands in 2005, and the amount of males receiving alimony payments [5] increased 50 percent from 2001 to 2006.

"I don't understand why someone becomes your financial responsibility just because you married them," the alimony-paying ex-wife of a former "The Young and The Restless" star, told the paper. For spouses who contribute more time than income to a marriage, the payout is only fair, however.

"If it was not for the joint decision to support [my wife]'s career advancement to the detriment of mine, I would be making considerably more than I am currently," one ex-husband who had taken a cut in pay to relocate for his wife's career [6], argued.

Of course, cringe-inducing pre-nups [7] exist to send arguments like these the way of the dinosaurs. In the meantime, what say you -- should spouses be legally obligated to share the wealth with their exes?