My wife of 25 years left me on 8/20/09 to go live with someone she met on the internet. To her credit she only took her clothes and other personal items except for all our pictures of our life together for the past 25 years, except for our wedding and 25th anniversary pictures. I have no pictures of my childeren or grandchilderen left except for the hand full hanging on the wall. I have asked her to return the pictures or make copies of them and send them back to me. She has no job and the person she left me for is on disability and only drawing $750.00 a month. She is in Nebraska do I have any legal options of getting these pictures back? She left every gift I every bought her except for a digital camera and camcorder because her new friend wanted those is what my daughter has told me. Can I request these back as well? I would like at least one back since I really can’t afford to replace either at this time. I already have no pictures of my childeren as childeren and kids grow fast I don’t want to miss out on my grandchilderen too. What can I do?
You will need to deal with all of your marital property in order to protect all of your assets, in addition to the photographs. You will need to sue your wife for Equitable Distribution and have the court divide your property, and can seek an order requiring the return of the pictures, or an order that she copy them for you. I suggest you meet with an attorney in the near future to create a plan of action to move forward.