Supreme Court to hear Charles Ryan divorce case

CHARLESTON - The state Supreme Court of Appeals will hear arguments from the ex-wife of a prominent Charleston marketing and public relations executive as she makes a case for more alimony.

Martha Ryan, the ex-wife of Charles Ryan, will appeal a decision from Kanawha Family Court. The arguments will be presented this week before the Supreme Court justices.

Charles Ryan founded the Charles Ryan Associates firm in the mid-1970s and says Martha cashed in on her stock and isn't entitled to any more. The two divorced in 1993 after 28 years of marriage.

An agreement was reached in 1994 that gave Martha $6,000 a month for 12 years and 30 percent of stock in Ryan-McGinnis, Inc.

Charles' lawyers claim she sold the stock and made more than $80,000, effectively ending his obligation to make alimony payments.

In 1999, Charles paid more than $120,000 toward Martha's tax debt, but she says still owes more. The tax burden, she argued, befell her when Charles' accountant filed forms with the Internal Revenue Service that taxed her alimony check, resulting in a two-year audit and the owing of a large amount of back taxes to the government.