Fee Award Directed Payment Of Money, So It Was Final For Appealability Purposes Even Though Order Said Future Adjustments Could Be Made. In Marriage of Bustillo, Case No. G048816 (4th Dist., Div. 3 Dec. 15, 2014) (unpublished), husband appealed a $5,000 needs-based fee award to wife, entered in May 2012, directing payment of […]
Record Did Not Support the Argument that the Lower Court Abused Its Discretion. Marriage of Sa and Martino, Case No. H039875 (6th Dist. Nov. 19, 2014) (unpublished) demonstrates how it will be hard for a family law litigant to overcome the deferential abuse of discretion standard when trying to challenge an additional needs-based
Raceway Ford Cases, Case Nos. E054517/E056595 (4th Dist., Div. 2 Sept. 16, 2014) (published) In this one, the defense—except for one fraud claim as to one plaintiff—waxed plaintiffs bringing various consumer and unfair competition claims. Defendants’ reward was a $1,503,084.50 fee recovery under various statutes. However, that went POOF! on appeal when several
Ex-Wife Did Not Show Sanctions Were An Abuse of Discretion, With No “Double Dipping” Based on Prior Discovery Sanctions. Family Code section 271 sanctions, oftentimes attorney’s fees for resolution-thwarting, obstructionist conduct by a family law litigant, are generally reviewed under an abuse of discretion standard. Marriage of Bell, Case No. D064293 (4th Dist.,
Ex-Wife Appeared To Get Large Sums of Cash From Casino Business and Parents. Carol Highsmith, photographer. Library of Congress. In Marriage of Aguina & Kang, Case No. E057770 (4th Dist., Div. 2 Aug. 14, 2014) (unpublished), ex-wife was ordered to pay temporary needs-based fees to ex-husband of $10,000 under Family Code sections
CCP § 664.6 Settlement Enforcement Provisions Did Not Apply. The Third District in Marriage of Mead and Williams-Mead, Case No. C073814 (3d Dist. Aug. 6, 2014) (unpublished), after almost 10 years of unsuccessful litigation by ex-husband against ex-wife, seemed to finally have had enough. Ex-husband appealed an $80,201 attorney’s fees award to
Innovative Futuristic Award Sustained Upon Review. Marriage of Chan, Case No. B242788 (2d Dist., Div. 8 Aug. 4, 2014) (unpublished) is interesting for the “needs-based” futuristic attorney’s fees component awarded to ex-wife under Family Code section 2030/2032. In this one, the family law judge indicated that, for on-going fees incurred by ex-wife,
Husband Did Not Show He Could Not Pay Sanctions Award. After 25 years of marriage, husband got hit with a Family Code section 271 sanctions order of $14,872 in fees/expended incurred by ex-wife mainly based on encumbering property without consent after filing of the restraining order going into effect after the filing of
Prior Award of $160,000 in Fees and Transfer of Valuable Property to Wife Sufficed. When you are in family law court, make sure you consider all the equities before seeking needs-based fees or Family Code section 271 sanctions. In Marriage of Davis, Case No. B243382 (2d Dist., Div. 6 July 17, 2014)
Husband Provided Equivalent Judicial Council Information, With Wife Having the Better Standard of Living Based on Income From a “New Mate.” Ex-wife in Buchanan v. Alhino, Case No. C072653 (3d Dist. June 17, 2014) (unpublished) appealed a family law order directing that she contribute $4,000 toward ex-husband’s attorney’s fees under the needs-based statutes (Family
