Question: I want to sue my ex-wife because our kids are, let me be politically correct about this, not very attractive.

I read on the Internet somewhere that a man sued his former wife because she had unattractive kids.  It sounds like my situation almost exactly.  Our kids are young and they are just not attractive at all.  I hate to say it but they are downright hard to look at.  My wife admitted to me after our divorce that when she was younger, before I met her, she had a lot of plastic surgery.  She admitted to having 7 different procedures done by plastic surgeons in Atlanta, Milton and Alpharetta.  She never told me about that before we got married.

My kids are wonderful people and I have a lot of fun with them.  But I thought they'd be better looking and it really bothers me that my ex lied to me and didn't admit that she had plastic surgery procedures.  If I had known I probably would have married her but I'd be more ready to have ungainly kids.  Maybe I could have done something about it.

I live in Dunwoody and work in Duluth and my former wife lives in Sandy Springs.  Is there anything I can do?  Maybe I can pay less child support.

Answer: The story to which you refer was popularized via the Internet and actually emanated from China.  Apparently a man sued his former wife because she did not tell him before they were married that she had some plastic surgery procedures and she gave birth to children who were extremely unattractive.  This story is probably a hoax or was not reported correctly.  Either way, we have received questions like this before.

There really is nothing you can do about it.  You do not have a legal cause of action under Georgia law.  Your wife was under no duty to inform you of her plastic surgeries.  And, of course, beauty is a subjective matter.  It is, after all, in the eye of the beholder.  Just because you classify the children as "unattractive" does not mean that other people would.  Perhaps other people may find them very good-looking.  Also, it would be impossible for a court to apportion “liability” for a child's appearance.  It takes two parents to have a child and it would be impossible for a court to decide which party was specifically responsible for a child's appearance; indeed, one party is never solely responsible for a child's physical appearance.

There are certain legitimate reasons to request a modification of child support.  As child support lawyers we handle modifications all the time.  However, having unattractive children or a former spouse who did not acknowledge having plastic surgery prior to marriage are not winning arguments.

About Us

When you need to speak with a Dunwoody divorce lawyer or a Dunwoody child support attorney, just call us at 678-215-4106.  Our divorce lawyers and family law team will help you navigate through any situation.  We handle cases throughout the Atlanta metro area and North Georgia.