Former Alamance County Register of Deeds Hugh Webster contends that his estranged wife of 54 years, Patricia (βPatβ) Webster, berated him for years after an on-the-job injury in 2015 and subsequent back surgery left him permanently disabled, confined to a wheelchair, and unable to care for his own daily needs.
Webster, 78, served as the countyβs registrar from 2011 until 2020, when he opted not to seek reelection. A Republican, Webster also represented Alamance and Caswell counties in the state senate from 1995 until 2006.

A lawsuit that Pat Webster filed earlier this fall alleges that her now-estranged husband verbally abused her for years β at times, in front of her friends β before finally telling her he was going to find βa woman from Russia or somewhere else to move in with himβ and take care of him, due to what she describes as his declining physical and mental health.
The latest filing in the legal back-and-forth between the retired politician and his estranged wife aims to set the record straight, based on the response that Hugh Webster has filed to his wifeβs lawsuit.
Hugh Webster admits he sought companionship and βpossible assistanceβ online because his estranged wife had effectively abandoned the marriage years ago and βquit caretaking duties forβ her severely-disabled husband.
In his response to his estranged wifeβs lawsuit, Hugh Webster claims that, as his condition deteriorated, his now-estranged had grown increasingly critical of his health and his healthcare decisions, even βrefusing to assist in his care if she did not approve of it.β Pat Websterβs consistent criticism represent indignities that βrendered his condition intolerable and life burdensome,β based on a state law cited in his response to the suit his estranged wife has filed.
Pat Webster left the coupleβs home in Burlington and moved into a beach house they own in Myrtle Beach in September, according to the lawsuit she filed in Alamance County civil court earlier this fall.
The estranged wife contends sheβs financially unable to maintain the standard of living she had become accustomed to during the marriage, which included owning two homes and vacationing in South Africa, Maui, Germany, and Columbia. Pat Webster is requesting an award for alimony, post-separation support, half of her estranged husbandβs retirement and other assets, as well as an uneven distribution of the marital property.
In the response to the lawsuit, Hugh Webster acknowledges the standard of living Pat Webster had enjoyed during the marriage β but counters that she had traveled to South Africa, Maui, and Germany alone.
Hugh Webster is asking an Alamance County judge to deny Pat Websterβs request for post-separation support, alimony, and an unequal distribution of the marital assets. He is also seeking a division of ownership of property and/or liability for debts acquired prior to the coupleβs marriage in 1967 and after they separated on September 14, 2021; an equitable distribution of marital assets; an award for his attorneyβs fees; and a divorce from bed and board, consistent with several state laws cited in his response.
Court files give no indication that Pat Webster has filed a divorce complaint.
Pat Webster is being represented by Burlington attorney Wade Harrison; Hugh Webster is being represented by Graham attorney Bryan Ray.
See earlier story on Pat Webster’s original lawsuit:Β https://alamancenews.com/former-registrar-sued-for-alimony-after-54-years-of-marriage/