By” R Joyclyn Wea
MONROVIA-J. Kennedy Peabody, Resident Circuit Judge of the Sixth Judicial Circuit, Civil Law Court has granted the petition for alimony prayed for by the wife of former Foreign Minister Milton G. Findley with modification.
Judge Peabody mandated Findley to pay five hundred United States to his wife monthly as of the date of filing the action of divorce before the civil law court.
Findley’s wife demand for alimony in the amount of US$15,000.00 places an obligation on her to provide information as to sources of his income that would commiserate with the award so demanded,but bluntly failed to provide any such financial information to guard and attract the court to its demand and hence making it difficult for that court to yield to her argument to grand the alimony of USD$15,000.00 so prayed for.
The court says that the general principle governing the award of alimony is based on the spouse’s income and not on astronomical demand.
In the instance case, Judge Peabody noted that there is no record before the court to show that Findley is employed nor there is any financial records to show that he is receiving income from other sources as being insinuated by his ex-wife.
“It is now the legal obligation of this court to set the appropriate award of alimony as justice requires and considering the attending circumstance of the parties in these proceeding consistent with section 9.3 of the domestic relation laws of Liberia which seeks the discretion of the court in determining such case,” he noted.
The petition for ‘Alimony Pendente Lite’ by Kardiatu Findley grew out of a January 13, 2021 action for divorce for incompatibility of temper instituted by Milton G. Findley with that court.
Findley prayed the court to grant divorce action terminating the long-term marriage between him and his wife Kardiatu Findley making them separate and distinct as if they were never married.
On January 29, 2021, madam Findley in return filed a motion for alimony and suit money however; the suit money component of the said motion was passed upon by Judge Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay on June 23, 2021.
In the petition for alimony, madam Findley prayed the court to grant the amount for US$15,000.00 per month for her support and maintenance retroactively as of November 4, 2015 and during the course of the pendency of the main suit (divorce).
She contends that she is entitled to said support because of her status and the status of her husband Findley in the Liberian society in that she served as special assistant to the then president of the Republic of Liberia Charles Taylor and has been the wife of Findley who was a former Senator and Pro Tempore for the Liberian Senate and former Minister of Foreign Affairs.
She relied on section 9.3 and 9.4 of the domestic relation laws of Liberia.
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