[oh_sigh]

Three options:

1) OP is just straight up lying

2) OP basically just blindly signed whatever was put in front of him

3) OP doesn't have much income but has a large net worth and payments were structured as monthly payments instead of a lump sum.

Edit: Please note I'm just listing possibilities. I'm not calling OP a liar, just that it is possible he is lying. Or that he is sitting on millions in investments.

[throwaway5250]

Sympathies. I might have written that myself ten years ago. Godspeed.

(Never hit a million, and falling fast these days.)

[ta3216]

I assume he had significant income in previous years, switched jobs for whatever reason, makes significantly less, but alimony is based on past few years income. That must hurt but I think is done to protect the other person since some people might purposefully quit etc in order to have alimony be set at a lower amount, then get a new job after divorce to match what they were making previously.

[closetohome]

I'm guessing #1 but based on a secondhand story that happened to an older relative.