Man Refuses Paying Alimony after Sex Change

Lawrence Roach who agreed to pay alimony to his ex-wife now argues in an effort to end the payments as the ex-wife has undergone a sex change surgery and became a man.

The attorneys of Lawrence Roach's ex wife whose name now is Roberto Silverwolf argued Tuesday that sex change does not imply any changes in the agreement.

Roach Lawrence and his wife whose name at that time was Julia divorced in 2004. Lawrence agreed to pay his ex-wife $1,250 a month in alimony. After some time Julia had her sex changed and legally became Julio Roberto Silverwolf. This fact encouraged Roach argue that he should not pay alimony any longer as he agreed to pay alimony to a woman, and not to a man.

Since there is no law allowing marriage between two men, it should be a illegal for a man to collect alimony from a man, said John McGuire, one of Roach's attorneys.

Gregory Nevins, the attorney of Julio Roberto Silverwolf who did not appear in the court Tuesday says there is not a chance for Roach as such circumstance as sex change was not mentioned in the divorce decree. According to the divorce decree Roach has to pay alimony until his ex-wife dies or remarries. None of two things has happened, thus Roach must continue paying alimony to Silverwolf.

Circuit Judge Jack R. St. Arnold found fault with some of Roach's arguments. Also the judge said that a sex change cannot be recognized in Florida when it comes to marriage.

In September 2004 an Ohaio appeals court ruled that a Montgomery County man who divorced from his wife must continue paying alimony to her in case if she turned out to be a transsexual and had her sex changed, as the court did not found sex change to be enough to violate divorce decree.

Roach said he did not manage to convince lawmakers to tackle the issue. Nevertheless he is going to continue fighting.

Roach's case has become the second transsexual rights showdown in Pinellas County in a week. On Friday in nearby Largo city commissioners fired the city manager Steve Stanton after he announced himself to be a transsexual.