Angrywife,
I am 34 years old, with a wife and a young son and all the attached financial committments. I started my flying training in October 2004 and completed everything by the middle of November 2005. This I thought would stand me in good stead to get into a right hand seat of something fairly quickly!
However, as many people on this forum will tell you and already have done, there is no certainty in this line of business. Good luck, Big pockets and maybe good looks can have a big influence on how long it takes to get that elusive first job, but at the end of the day, drive and determination are paramount with the addition of self belief.
From my initial job applications going out in January 2006, to the first hint of anything reasonable, took about a year. Now, I am 2 weeks away from starting my type rating on a B737 with a very reputable scheduled airline and the world is looking very rosey again.
There are positions out there, and being in the right place at the right time is vital, but your husband will need to fight hard to get himself in that position in the first place.
The effort can definately pay off.
Best of luck
RL