Man Has to Pay Maintenance for Giving Ex Wife a STD

This week, the Arkansas Court of Appeals ruled that a man must pay his ex-wife maintenance because he infected her with a sexually transmitted disease (STD).

Prior to the court’s decision, Ronnie Pearce had appealed his divorce judgment, which awarded his wife (Glynda Pearce) $250 per month.  The amount awarded to Glynda was meant to cover the costs of the medication that she uses to treat the STD her former husband gave her.

The initial ruling stated that the STD was given to her as a result of an “extramarital affair” Ronnie had in 1988 and the Arkansas Court of Appeals agreed.  Deciding to uphold the maintenance payments, the court said that Glynda was given the STD through no fault of her own and that she had no choice but to continue taking her medication for the rest of her life.

Judge Karen Baker wrote, “The fact that those expenses are necessitated by (Ronnie’s) giving (Glynda) an STD does not make the award a fault-based decision.”

After being married for 24 years, the couple decided to file for divorce.

The Thode Law Firm represents those who are going through difficult family law matters in Colorado.   If you would like legal assistance, contact us today to speak with a Denver family lawyer.