Horse Trainers Battle Over Divorce Settlement

Canadian Couple Continues Decade Long Divorce Fight

Two of the most successful horse trainers in Canada have been engaged in a lengthy dispute over child support payments after separating nearly ten years ago. According to court documents detailing the long and bitter case, the couple officially divorced in 2002, after they decided to end their marriage in Christmas of 1999. This was only the beginning of their legal woes, however, as they continued to squabble over family law issues, first in the court room and then continuing into arbitration with the help of a retired Superior Court Judge who agreed to help the two come to an agreement.

The current ongoing fight is over what the wife alleges is back child and spousal support payments that the husband chose to withhold while seeking a new deal in court. The argument stems from a settlement the two agreed to in 2001, which stipulated that the husband would pay four years of spousal support to his ex-wife while she attempted to start her own horse-training business. When the payments ended in 2005, she went to court seeking a new deal, arguing that caring for the couple's autistic son had prevented her from achieving financial independence.

Court Orders Ex-Husband to Make $331,000 Lump-Sum Payment

This disagreement re-ignited the couple's fierce legal battle, and both went to court seeking a new agreement in their favor. The ex-wife alleged that her former spouse was guilty of hiding his finances to reduce his payment responsibilities. He in turn alleged that she was seeking vengeance for the failure of her horse-training career, which had been in competition with his own.

A retired Superior Court Justice, after five-day arbitration, found the man guilty of failing to disclose his income and filing misleading reports. He ordered the ex-husband to pay his former wife more than one million dollars in back support and legal costs.

The most recent decision appealed this order, reducing the payout to a little more than three hundred thousand dollars. The husband's family law attorney argued that the former Justice had made errors in calculating the back support, and had punished his client for non-existent wrongdoing. The current agreement also ends the payment of spousal support to the ex-wife. Both sides are attempting a further appeal, which has yet to be granted.

Seek the aid of a Winnipeg family law attorney!

If you are undergoing a contested divorce, you deserve the strongest representation possible. An experienced  Winnipeg divorce attorney can fight for your rights and pursue the best outcome for you and your family. At the Assiniboia Law Group, our team of dedicated family law specialists is prepared to battle on your behalf. Whether you need help negotiating child support or child custody agreements, dividing your property, or merely mediating an uncontested divorce, Assiniboia can help!

To answer any questions you may have, contact a Winnipeg divorce lawyer with our office right away!