Supreme Court won't hear Halifax couple's divorce case

The Supreme Court of Canada will not hear a case involving a bitter Halifax divorce.

Businessman Vrege Armoyan was seeking a ruling from the country's highest court on questions dealing with the division of marital property.

Lisa Armoyan, his ex-wife, lives in Florida where she was granted a divorce and support for her and their three teenage children.

The case has been winding its way through courts in Nova Scotia and Florida for the past five years. 

Vrege Armoyan's lawyers argued Florida doesn't have jurisdiction over the case. They said the matter should be dealt with in Nova Scotia.

In a decision released Thursday, Canada's top court refused to hear Vrege Armoyan's appeal.

The court has also ordered him to pay costs.

In September, the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal upheld a Florida decision on child support and ordered Vrege Armoyan to pay his ex-wife more than $400,000 in arrears, plus $15,000 a month.

Lisa Armoyan told CBC News it's been a frustrating experience trying to collect the funds.

"I just want my kids to get what they are entitled to," she said. "I hope that he doesn't feel that he is exempt from not following or abiding by court orders when everybody else abides by court orders."

In an email to CBC News, Vrege Armoyan said that as of May 13, 2013, he's paid Lisa Armoyan more than $1,020,880 in financial support.

"Subsequently I continue to pay $10,000 in support to her directly on a monthly basis, as well as direct payments to service providers, expenses for costs related to our children's needs and allowances for our children," he wrote.

"The most important thing to me is my kids and my kids' knowledge of how I have supported them and their mother to date and what financial assistance I continue to provide."