$60,000 Was The Denied Request.
In Marriage of Patel, Case No. B351488 (2d Dist., Div. 6 Aug. 24, 2026) (unpublished), the family law judge denied ex-wife’s request for $60,000 in needs-based fees under Family Code section 2030. The appellate court affirmed. Although the lower court’s reasons at the oral hearing were not a model of clarity, they did not provide sufficient bases—combined with the pleadings of record so there was no reversible error—to determine that both sides have significant assets, ex-wife had chosen not to work, and her attorney had driven up the litigation costs unnecessarily. These factors sufficed to sustain the fee denial.