A prominent North Carolina businessman has been trying for several years to keep records of his divorce settlement private--but those efforts may be coming to an end. Brian France, who is the chief executive officer of the NASCAR racing circuit, has been locked in a battle with a Charlotte, North Carolina, newspaper that wants to have the records made available to the public.

France and his now ex-wife made an agreement when the couple got divorced in 2008. Since that time, details of the agreement have been quoted in other court documents, but the full text of the agreement remains unreleased. According to what is known of the agreement, France's ex-wife received $9 million as well as $40,000 per year in child support and spousal support payments.

The CEO claimed that his ex-wife violated the terms of the agreement by allegedly showing it to a male companion and by speaking disparagingly about her ex-husband to family and friends. For her part, the ex-wife claimed that France was not making the support payments he had agreed to.

France's legal team was able to persuade a judge to seal all the court records and hearings in December 2008, despite the fact that such information is generally public in North Carolina. The Charlotte Observer newspaper has been trying to unseal the records ever since.

Some observers speculate that the sealed records contain information harmful to France's business interests that could prove damaging if released. Whatever the outcome of the case turns out to be, it serves as a reminder that an experienced family law attorney is often an essential resource when marriages dissolve.

Source: ESPN, "NASCAR CEO fights to keep divorce private," Paula Lavigne, Jan. 17, 2012