Mother’s Failure to Provide Detailed Financial Picture Ended Her Appellate Quest.
Mother in Dorbie v. Fales, Case No. D059338 (4th Dist., Div. 1 May 24, 2012) (unpublished) challenged a Family Code section 271 $10,000 sanctions award on the basis she simply could not afford it.
Unfortunately for her, the appellate court rejected her challenges to the award. Mother failed to provide a complete financial picture to contest the sanctions award, which literally was the end of the matter–coupled with the fact the lower court ordered that the sanctions be paid off at a rate of $250 per month to make them more affordable. The abuse of discretion standard of review was not surmounted in this appellate case.