THOMASVILLE — Thomas County Superior Court Judge Gregory Voyles denied Robert Shiver’s motion to seal his entire divorce matter on April 29, 2026, allowing Lindsay Shiver the opportunity to use the documents in her looming criminal trial, if necessary.
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Judge denies motion to seal entire Shiver divorce matter
Thomas County Superior Court Judge Gregory Voyles denied Robert Shiver’s motion to seal his entire divorce matter on April 29, 2026, allowing Lindsay Shiver the opportunity to use the documents in her looming criminal trial, if necessary.
On April 5, 2023, Robert filed a complaint for divorce. Two years later, he and Lindsay agreed to a parenting plan that was approved and signed by then-judge Brian McDaniel on September 8, 2025. On October 31, 2025, Robert filed a motion to seal the entire divorce matter. However, Lindsay quickly filed a response and objection on November 13, 2025.
The two then appeared in court over the matter on April 16, 2026, three years after the divorce had been filed for.
During the hearing, Robert’s attorney, James J. McGinnis, argued that his client’s only interest in sealing the entire divorce matter was to protect his children, as their mother’s trial had already brought them unwanted attention.
McGinnis claimed that Lindsay, despite being under a gag order, appeared on Good Morning America, thriving off the attention she received.
McGinnis said the attention will be reignited in June or July, when Lindsay is set to appear for her criminal trial, and it will only cause more issues for her children, especially if individuals have access to the divorce records and can see where the children are located, based on the parenting plan.
“The children are innocent,” McGinnis said.
Lindsay’s attorney, Alvah O. Smith, agreed that the children are innocent in all of this, which is why his client is fighting so vigorously to keep the records open to ensure she can spend time with her children.
Smith pointed out that sealing the divorce record prevents his client from using a basic public record, such as a parenting plan, to be able to do activities with her children.
On more than one occasion, Lindsay has had to file a motion to pick up her children from school.
“She should not have to have her record sealed in the event she needs to use it to prove once again the parenting plan,” Smith said.
In response to McGinnis’ claims that Lindsay’s interest was not that of the children, but was focused more on attention and fame, Smith pulled out a binder of People, TMZ, New York Post, and other tabloid clippings for submission into evidence.
“Mr. Shiver has continued to garner national and international attention by his own actions,” Smith said. “He had a relationship with Savannah Chrisley, a celebrity, who was followed by the paparazzi, hired a PR Specialist, and appeared on her show.”
Smith argued that it was disingenuous to say that Lindsay was the only one who cared about media attention when she did not have a PR Specialist and did not seek out a reality TV show to appear on.
Additionally, Smith explained that sealing the entire divorce matter would prevent Lindsay from “vigorously defending and exonerating herself in the Bahamas,” as her lawyers there would not have access due to the records being sealed.
“We request that the motion to seal the entire divorce matter not be granted so she may use it for her trial,” Smith concluded.
Voyles told the two he would take it under advisement before he denied the motion and issued a decree of divorce. In his order, Voyles did note that he was sympathetic to the fact that the minor children had “probably heard and been exposed to information and details in the media from which they should have been protected.” However, Voyles said that from the arguments presented, the attention appears to be due to the actions of their parents, who have garnered or promoted media attention, and sealing the records will not remedy that issue.
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