Noel Tshiani wasn't at his wedding — he listened by phone in another country to the ceremony in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to court records — but he's just as married as if he'd stood at his bride's side. And soon, he'll be just as divorced and responsible for alimony and child support, a Maryland court has ruled.
The Maryland Court of Special Appeals, in upholding the divorce and nearly $6,000 a month in alimony, child support and other financial payments, said the ceremony may have been unusual but is considered a marriage like any other under state law.