Cases: Family Law

Family Law: Lower Court’s Award Under Needs-Based Statute Reversed Where Fees Were Requested Under DVPA Prevailing Party Fee Statutory Provision.

Cases: Family Law

  $72,660 Fee Award Against Husband Reversed On Appeal.     In Saldana v. Noh, Case No. A143491 (1st Dist., Div. 2 Nov. 14, 2016) (unpublished), wife moved to recover fees against husband under Family Code section 6344, which allows a prevailing party in a Domestic Violence Prevention Act (DVPA) proceeding to recoup fees.  However, the […]

Family Law: Trial Judge’s Fixation On Domestic Violence Factor, To The Exclusion Of Other Economic Factors, Required Reversal Of Needs-Based Fee Request By Husband

Cases: Family Law

  271 Sanctions Award Also Reversed, But Child Support Enforcement/DVRO Fees Against Husband Were Sustained On Appeal.     Just to show you how appellate courts “balance the equities,” husband won some and lost some in a challenge to a denial of a Family Code section 2030 needs-based fees award, a grant of section 271 sanctions

Family Law: Surgeon Doctor Husband Properly Assessed With Needs-Based Fees Awarded To Stay At Home Wife

Cases: Family Law

Above:  Surgeon operating on wounded prisoner.  c1903.  Library of Congress. $400 Hourly Rate Reasonable For Divorce Attorney In L.A. Case.     Ex-husband, an orthopedic surgeon who lost his job but became reemployed, was ordered to pay $15,000 in needs-based attorneys fees under Family Code sections 2030/2032 to his ex-wife, who was unemployed and a stay

Deadlines/Family Law: New Trial Motion On Postjudgment Attorney’s Fees Denial To Wife Did Not Extend Period To Appeal

Cases: Deadlines, Cases: Family Law

  Wife’s Appeal Of Fee Denial Was Untimely.     Wife was flummoxed by a lower court’s refusal to award her attorney’s fees, appealing from the denial in Bennett v. Foss, Case Nos. A145656/147009 (1st Dist., Div. 1 Sept. 28, 2016) (unpublished).  Unfortunately for her, the appellate court determined that she untimely appealed such that it

Allocation, Family Law, Substantiation Of Fees: Ex-Husband Failing To Allocate Between Recoverable And Non-Recoverable Claims During Trial Properly Denied Any Fees

Cases: Allocation, Cases: Family Law, Cases: Substantiation of Reasonableness of Fees

  Ex-Husband’s Failure To Allocate And Use Of Block Billing Resulted In Real Problems At Trial And Ultimate Denial Of Any Fees Incurred By Husband. Adding prize winner. Washington D.C. “In a speed and accuracy contest for adding machine operators last night, William A. Offutt of the Washington Loan and Trust Company, was declared winner

Family Law: Wife’s Attorney Was Liable For $6,000 In Discovery Sanctions But $10,000 Sanctions Against Attorney Under Family Law Section 271 Reversed

Cases: Family Law

  Reason Is That 271 Sanctions Do Not Lie Against An Attorney, Just The Litigant.      In Marriage of Noble, Case No. H041148 (6th Dist. Aug. 3, 2016) (unpublished), wife’s attorney challenged a $6,000 discovery sanctions award against her and a separate $10,000 sanctions award against her under Family Code section 271. The appellate court

Family Law: No Statement Of Decision Required For Fees Award And Lower Court Only Needed To Consider Relevant Needs-Based Factors

Cases: Family Law

$28,500 Fee Request By Mother Found Unreasonable, With Lower Court’s Order Of $3,500 Under Family Code Sections 2030/2032 Being Sustained On Appeal.     Mother, in Marriage of Morcos-Jewgieniew and Jewgieniew, Case No. G050727 (4th Dist., Div. 3 Aug. 1, 2016) (unpublished), requested $28,500 in fees based on “need” under Family Code sections 2030 and 2032,

Family Law: Failure To Use Updated Financial Information For Husband Leads To Reversal Of Wife’s Fee Request Denial

Cases: Family Law

  Updated Information Might Show Disparity Existed For “Needs Based” Fee Award.      In Marriage of Kelley & Nelson, Case No. B266745 (2d Dist., Div. 4 July 22, 2016) (unpublished), wife’s request for “needs based” fees was denied. However, that decision was reversed on appeal because the lower court did not use husband’s updated financial

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