Opinion ID: 1826405
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: whether the chancellor erred in awarding to peggy arthur $1,200 in attorney fees.

Text: Jerry argues that Peggy was financially able to pay her own attorney fees, and thus under Cheatham v. Cheatham, 537 So.2d 435, 440 (Miss. 1988), she was not entitled to an attorney fee award. Jerry points out that in addition to her $1,400-per-month income from Merchants and Farmers Bank, Peggy had a certificate of deposit of approximately $10,000 and owned an undivided one-half interest in the marital residence, of which she was awarded exclusive use and possession with Jerry paying the mortgage and maintenance costs. Peggy testified at trial that she had already paid $1,300 in attorney fees and owed an additional $970. Peggy urges this Court to compare the facts of this case with those of Hemsley v. Hemsley, 639 So.2d 909, 915 (Miss. 1994), wherein the wife's annual income was over $20,000 and she had a savings account with a balance in excess of $9,100. This Court affirmed the chancellor's award to the wife of one-half of her $5,641.18 in attorney fees. Hemsley, 639 So.2d at 915. The award of attorney fees in a divorce case is generally left to the discretion of the chancellor. Id.; Adams v. Adams, 591 So.2d 431, 435 (Miss. 1991); Cheatham, 537 So.2d at 440. We are `reluctant to disturb a chancellor's discretionary determination whether or not to award attorney fees and of the amount of [any] award.' Ferguson v. Ferguson, 639 So.2d 921, 937 (Miss. 1994) (quoting Geiger v. Geiger, 530 So.2d 185, 187 (Miss. 1988)). We hold that the chancellor did not abuse his discretion in awarding to Peggy Arthur $1,200 in attorney fees.