Family Law: Lower Court Did Not Err In Ordering Ex-Husband To Pay An Additional Fees of $25,000 To Wife Rather Than Her $200,000 Request

 

By Time of Ruling, Both Parties Had Somewhat Equal Assets.

     Ex-wife obviously was upset in Laughman v. Laughman, Case No. B245837 (2d Dist., Div. 8 Feb. 10, 2014) (unpublished) because the lower court only ordered ex-husband to pay needs-based fees of $25,000 even though she requested more than $200,000 in fees.

     The fee award was found to be no abuse of discretion on appeal. By the time of this request, the parties had ended up with nearly an equal division of assets. Also, before the equalization occurred, husband had been ordered to pay $25,000 in fees previously, with nothing egregious in the rulings resonating with the court of appeal.