Her Oral $15,000 Add-on Request for a Consultant Not Adequately Supported.
In Marriage of Preim, Case No. A130791 (1st Dist., Div. 1 Mar. 13, 2013) (partially published; fee discussion not published), wife was found statutorily ineligible to receive spousal support based on her history of domestic violence toward her husband, a determination affirmed on appeal. She was awarded fees of $20,000 at an initial stage based presumably on a disparity in assets/income. Then, the lower court awarded her an additional $20,000 in fees, but denied an oral request to supplement that with another $15,000 for consultant expenses.
Wife appealed.
No abuse of discretion in the second fee award, said the appellate court in an unpublished part of the opinion. The problem was that she only really asked for $20,000 in fees, and got them all. Her $15,000 “add-on” oral request was not adequately supported by the record, so no error based on what was put before the reviewing panel.