Opinion ID: 1537744
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: [¶ 2] David and Chandra Pillsbury married on December 11, 1993. They have two minor children. It was on September 18, 2003, that Chandra filed a complaint for divorce against David in the District Court on the ground of irreconcilable differences. David counterclaimed for divorce on the same ground. The parties were able to partially resolve the matter by agreement. [¶ 3] Following a hearing, the court issued a divorce judgment dated December 14, 2005, and later, in January of 2006, an amended divorce judgment, which corrected a clerical error. The court found, inter alia, that: the parties had been married for twelve years; by agreement of the parties, Chandra left the work force in 1995 for ten years to raise their children; Chandra had recently obtained employment as a substitute teacher, earning an annual income of approximately $5000; given her education and the age of her children, Chandra is underemployed and capable of earning $17,000 per year; and David earns $40,000 per year at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, but he is capable of earning $50,000 per year there by accepting travel assignments as he has done in the past. The court concluded, the presumption of an award of spousal support to [Chandra] in the amount of $125.00 per week, for a period of 6 years is reasonable because it would approximately equal David's share of the equity in the marital home. Because Chandra wished to remain in the marital home, and because David did not feel that he had the ability to pay weekly support, the court awarded the marital home to Chandra, and also awarded to her David's share of the equity in the marital home as a lump sum spousal support payment, which the court found reasonable and necessary for both her and the children. David filed this appeal.