Title: Kostic-Lahlou
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 317, 2006
State: Delaware
Issuer: Delaware Supreme Court
Date: December 1, 2006

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE 
 
KATRINA KOSTIC-LAHLOU, 
 
Petitioner Below- 
Appellant, 
 
v. 
 
ARMIN KOSTIC, 
 
Respondent Below- 
Appellee. 
§ 
§  No. 317, 2006 
§ 
§ 
§  Court Below─Family Court 
§  of the State of Delaware 
§  in and for New Castle County 
§  File No. CN03-10735  
§  Petition No. 03-37296 
§ 
§ 
 
 
 
 
 
Submitted: October 10, 2006 
 
 
 
 
   Decided: December 1, 2006 
 
Before HOLLAND, BERGER and JACOBS, Justices 
 
 
 
 
 
 
O R D E R  
 
 
This 1st day of December 2006, upon consideration of the appellant’s 
opening brief and the appellee’s motion to affirm pursuant to Supreme Court 
Rule 25(a), it appears to the Court that: 
 
(1) 
The petitioner-appellant, Katrina Kostic-Lahlou (“Wife”), filed 
an appeal from the Family Court’s May 18, 2006 order denying her motion 
for reargument of the Family Court’s March 17, 2006 order regarding 
property division.  The respondent-appellee, Armin Kostic (“Husband”), has 
moved to affirm the judgment of the Family Court on the ground that it is 
manifest on the face of the opening brief that the appeal is without merit.  
We agree and AFFIRM. 
 
2
 
(2) 
In this appeal, Wife claims that the Family Court incorrectly 
weighed the evidence presented at the property division hearing in awarding 
her only 57.5% of the marital assets and attributing to her 42.5% of the 
marital debt.  Specifically, Wife argues that the Family Court abused its 
discretion when it: a) deemed Husband’s student loan to be a marital debt; b) 
credited her with a 2004 tax refund; c) assigned an improper value to the 
marital residence; and d) assigned an improper value to the marital car.    
 
(3) 
This Court’s review of an appeal from a property division order 
of the Family Court extends to a review of the facts and the law as well as 
the inferences and deductions made by the trial judge.1  This Court will not 
disturb findings of fact unless they are clearly wrong and justice requires 
that they be overturned.2  This Court will not substitute its own opinion for 
the inferences and deductions made by the trial judge if they are supported 
by the record and are the product of an orderly and logical deductive 
process.3  On appeal from the denial of a motion for reargument this Court 
reviews whether the trial court improperly failed to reconsider its decision 
and correct any legal or factual errors prior to an appeal.4 
                                                 
1 Wife (J.F.V.) v. Husband (O.W.V., Jr.), 402 A.2d 1202, 1204 (Del. 1979). 
2 Solis v. Tea, 468 A.2d 1276, 1279 (Del. 1983). 
3 Id. 
4 Bowen v. E.I. duPont de Nemours and Co., Inc., 879 A.2d 920, 921 (Del. 2005). 
 
3
 
(4) 
While Wife takes issue with the Family Court’s property 
division decision, she fails to identify any factual findings or inferences 
made by the Family Court that are “clearly wrong,” unsupported by the 
record or illogical.  In essence, she asks this Court to substitute its own 
opinion for the factual findings and deductions made by the Family Court, 
which would be an improper exercise of this Court’s appellate jurisdiction.  
Our independent review of the transcript of the Family Court hearing reveals 
no error or abuse of discretion on the part of the Family Court and, therefore, 
no basis for reversal of the Family Court’s decision.  As such, the Family 
Court’s denial of Wife’s motion for reargument of that decision also must be 
affirmed.   
 
(5) 
It is manifest on the face of the appellant’s opening brief that 
this appeal is without merit because the issues presented on appeal are 
controlled by settled Delaware law and, to the extent that judicial discretion 
is implicated, there was no abuse of discretion. 
 
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that, pursuant to Supreme 
Court Rule 25(a), the motion to affirm is GRANTED.  The judgment of the 
Family Court is AFFIRMED. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BY THE COURT: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Carolyn Berger 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Justice