Title: Burnside v. Burnside

State: new-mexico

Issuer: New Mexico Supreme Court

Document:

514 P.2d 36 (1973) 85 N.M. 517 Lena Colleen BURNSIDE, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Duane C. BURNSIDE, Defendant-Appellee. No. 9609. Supreme Court of New Mexico. September 14, 1973. James R. Toulouse & Associates, Mary C. Walters, Albuquerque, for appellant. Marchiondo & Berry, James E. Casados, Albuquerque, for appellee. OMAN, Justice. This is a divorce case in which the trial court denied plaintiff's petition for alimony and additional attorney fees. This appeal involves only these two issues. We reverse. It is plaintiff's position that the trial court abused its discretion in (1) denying alimony to her, since she was effectively precluded from presenting evidence on this issue, and (2) denying her additional attorney fees without hearing any testimony on this issue. The movement of this case through the trial court was long and pathetic. Plaintiff filed her complaint on September 25, 1969. She was granted a divorce from defendant and awarded $350.00 to be applied *37 as "partial payment on [her] attorney fees" by decree entered December 9, 1969. It was recited in this decree: Thereafter and before the entry of the final order on July 26, 1972, from which this appeal has been taken, the plaintiff underwent psychiatric examinations, was hospitalized for some time, and, in another proceeding, was declared to be incompetent and guardians of her person and estate were appointed The custody of the three minor daughters of the parties was taken from plaintiff and awarded temporarily to defendant. The parties and the guardian of plaintiff's estate engaged in rather extensive discovery proceedings by written interrogatories and filed motions, counterclaims, petitions, responses, replies and objections, and three or four hearings were conducted. The final hearing was held on June 16, 1972, and the final order entered on July 26, 1972. The transcript of the final hearing shows the following relative to the issue of alimony: (1) During the presentation of opening statements by counsel and prior to the actual presentation of evidence, the following statements were made by plaintiff's attorney and the court: (2) Thereupon the attorney for defendant apparently told the representative of the guardian of plaintiff's estate, who had appeared pursuant to subpoenas issued at the request of both parties for the purpose of testifying as to the financial needs of plaintiff, that he could leave, and he left. (3) After plaintiff had offered the testimony of a witness upon the issue of custody of the three minor children, the following colloquy took place between the trial court and counsel for the parties: (4) There was absolutely no evidence adduced upon the issue of alimony, and no stipulation of facts relative thereto was tendered. On the basis of the statements of the attorneys, the trial court apparently decided the issue after having earlier assured plaintiff's attorney that this issue would be deferred for a later date and after defendant's attorney had told the representative of the guardian of plaintiff's estate that he might leave. At the June 16, 1972 hearing, the following occurred relative to attorney fees: (1) During the opening statements or colloquy between the court and counsel, the following was stated: (2) After plaintiff had concluded her evidence on the issue of custody of the children, the following occurred: *39 The court made the following findings and conclusions pertinent to the issues of alimony and attorney fees: In the final order entered on July 26, 1972 the trial court also found: "3. That plaintiff is not entitled to any alimony," and "4. That plaintiff is not entitled to any attorneys' fees, although the Court does not rule out said attorneys' [sic] being paid by the plaintiff." The court then ordered: "* * * that plaintiff's motion for alimony and for attorneys' fees be and the same is hereby denied." As to the issue of alimony, clearly this issue was raised by the pleadings, was reserved for hearing on its merits by the decree entered December 9, 1969, and, at the final hearing on June 16, 1972, was at first continued for a subsequent time when Mr. Toulouse, plaintiff's attorney from the inception of the case, could be present and for a hearing on the merits, if necessary. It was not until witnesses had been excused and evidence had been adduced on the remaining issue of child custody, that for some reason the trial court concluded this issue would then be determined, apparently on the basis of the statements of counsel quoted above. The right to alimony is a continuation of the right to support. It is a personal and not a property right. 2 Nelson, Divorce and Annulment § 14.06 (2d Ed. 1961). In New Mexico this right is recognized, but it is not an absolute right. The award or denial of alimony rests within the sound discretion of the trial court in making a determination as to what is just and proper under the circumstances. See § 22-7-6, N.M.S.A. 1953 [Amended by N.M. Laws 1973, Ch. 319 § 7]; Muckleroy v. Muckleroy, 84 N.M. 14, 498 P.2d 1357 (1972); Fitzgerald v. Fitzgerald, 70 N.M. 11, 369 P.2d 398 (1962); Mindlin v. Mindlin, 41 N.M. 155, 66 P.2d 260 (1937). However, a determination based upon no evidence, and arrived at in the manner in which it was here reached, cannot be equated with sound discretion. The trial court's finding No. II. above quoted, although true in the abstract, does not square with what occurred in the proceedings on June 16, 1972. Plaintiff contended a need on her part for a continuation of her right to support. Defendant denied this need. Thus, the issue of alimony was raised, and a proper disposition of this factual issue entitled plaintiff to introduce evidence and be fully heard in support of her contention. The trial court, by disposing of the issue on the basis of the colloquy between it and counsel, denied plaintiff her right. Compare Morico v. Cox, 134 Conn. 218, 56 A.2d 522 (1947); Tularosa Ditch Case, 16 N.M. 200, 114 P. 285 (1911); Bole v. Bole, 76 Cal. App. 2d 344, 172 P.2d 936 (1946). As to the issue of attorney fees, it appears that a total of $2,000.00 had been *40 paid by defendant to plaintiff for this purpose. Reference is made in a statement by defendant's counsel, which is above quoted, to $2,464.00 having been paid by defendant. However, in her brief in chief plaintiff has asserted, and has supported by transcript references, that she had been awarded $2,000.00. Defendant does not refute this assertion. He does refer to "fees in excess of $2,000.00," but he makes no reference to the transcript in support thereof. The first award of $350.00 as "partial payment" of attorney fees was made on December 9, 1969, at the time the divorce was granted. The second award in the amount of $1,650.00 was made on December 17, 1970, for the recited purpose of being "applied upon the plaintiff's attorney fees." We agree with the trial court that the amount of an award for attorney fees rests within the sound discretion of that court. However, discretion in this regard must have been exercised with the purpose in mind of insuring the plaintiff an efficient preparation and presentation of her case. Section 22-7-6, supra; Moore v. Moore, 71 N.M. 495, 501, 379 P.2d 784, 788 (1963). The trial court's finding No. V. above quoted, and which recites the facts upon which the trial court apparently relied for its conclusion that plaintiff was entitled to no further award of attorney fees, can hardly be considered as demonstrating an exercise of sound discretion in determining that $2,000.00 previously awarded was sufficient to insure her an efficient preparation and presentation of her case. Obviously she was precluded at the outset of the final hearing, and at every point thereafter, from citing any law or giving any testimony on the question of attorney fees. It may be that the evidence she could and would have adduced in support of her contentions that she was entitled to alimony and to a further award of attorney fees would have accomplished her nothing, but she was entitled to present her evidence on these questions. It was improper for the trial court, under the circumstances, to deny her request upon the grounds recited in Findings Nos. II. and V. To the extent that the order of the trial court denied plaintiff alimony and further attorney fees, the order should be reversed. The cause should be remanded to the district court for further proceedings on the issues of alimony and attorney fees consistent with the views herein expressed. It is so ordered. MONTOYA, and MARTINEZ, JJ.