Cases: Family Law

  Record Did Demonstrate Disparity in Financial Incomes of Ex-Spouses.      Marriage of Landau and Francis, Case No. B232575 (2d Dist., Div. 8 May 30, 2012) (unpublished) involved ex-husband’s appeal of a Family Code section 2030/2032 needs-based fee award to wife of $30,000 lump sum.      The fee award was affirmed. After all, under a

  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      Mother in Dorbie v. Fales, Case No. D059338 (4th Dist., Div. 1 May 24, 2012) (unpublished) challenged a Family Code section 271 $10,000 sanctions award on the basis she simply could not afford it.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

Court Rejects Suggestion That Fee Award and Sanction Cannot Be Made Against an Unemployed Person As “An Obviously Dangerous Rule”      After a family law judge found that a marriage nullification petition by wife was “not that close,” he ordered $5,000 in fees to be paid to husband under Family Code section 2255 (successfully defending

  Apparent Transparent Asset/Income Disparity Motivated Appellate Court to Look at the “Big Picture” in Remanding on 2030 Fee Issue.      We predicted that Alan S.–an opinion from our local Santa Ana appellate court–would be a big one quoted often in the area of when needs-based fees should be awarded under Family Code section 2030.

  Sanction Imposed After Oral Request At Hearing Overturned on Appeal.      In Kleytman v. Pechonkina, Case No. A130779 (1st Dist., Div. 2 Apr. 24, 2012) (unpublished), ex-husband was assessed $1,500 in attorney’s fees as a Family Code section 271 sanction for filing a motion for reconsideration that was denied. Usually, that might not be

  Determining Who Actually “Prevailed” Can Be Considered In Needs-Based Calculus.      Wife was disappointed when a family law judge refused to award “needs-based” attorney’s fees under Family Code sections 2032 and 4320, apparently based in large part on the perspective that she did not “prevail” during the litigation.      Our local Santa Ana appellate

  Payout to Wife at $750/Month Was Reasonable.      Husband was found by a family law judge to have withdrawn community funds without wife’s consent, rented out a family home unilaterally, ignored income and expense declaration filing deadlines, was dilatory during the discovery process, and presented a disorganized trial brief that prolonged the trial. As

  Marriage of Rice and Eaton, No. C066860 (3d Dist. Apr. 4, 2012) (partially published; 271 discussion unpublished).      Although the published part is an interesting discussion of the impact of Department of Child Support Services contempt proceedings on wife’s OSC to obtain enforcement of delinquent child support payments, the unpublished part relating to fees