You generally cannot simply take back a large amount paid to your wife in 2014 just because her divorce case was dismissed and she is now refusing to live with you again. In most family-law systems, money paid during marriage or paid under a court process is not automatically refundable unless there was a specific order, a clear repayment agreement, or proof the payment was for something that later became legally refundable.

What usually matters

  • Whether the payment was maintenance/alimony , a settlement , a loan , or part of a property transfer.
  • Whether there was a court order saying she had to repay it if the divorce failed.
  • Whether the money was paid under a legally enforceable financial order or just voluntarily.
  • Whether the amount was paid from separate property or from marital/joint funds.

When recovery may be possible

Recovery is more realistic only if one of these applies:

  1. The order or agreement specifically says the money must be returned in a certain event.
  1. The payment was an overpayment of support and the order allows reimbursement.
  1. The payment was actually a loan or a clearly traceable separate-property transfer, not marital support.
  1. The divorce decree left an amount unpaid to you and you are enforcing a judgment , not trying to undo a voluntary payment.

Refusal to cohabit

Her refusal to cohabit by itself does not automatically create a right to recover old payments. That issue may affect future marital rights or grounds in a family case, but it usually does not turn past support or marital payments into recoverable debt.

Practical next steps

  • Gather the divorce petition, dismissal order, payment proof, bank records, and any written agreement.
  • Check whether the payment was made under a court order or by private arrangement.
  • Ask a local family-law lawyer whether the amount can be framed as reimbursement, restitution, or enforcement of an order rather than a refund claim.
  • If there is a clear judgment in your favor, use the local court’s enforcement process instead of trying to re-label the old payment.

Bottom line

The strongest answer is: recovering a huge amount paid in 2014 is usually difficult unless you have a specific legal basis for repayment. If you only paid her as maintenance or during the marriage, courts commonly treat that as not recoverable; if the money was tied to a judgment, a loan, or an express repayment clause, your position is much better.

TL;DR: check the exact order and payment purpose first; without a repayment clause or enforceable judgment, getting the money back is usually unlikely.