Opinion ID: 1210888
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Enhancement Award

Text: The plaintiff contends that the circuit court should have granted her an additional lump sum award in alimony to compensate her for the physical and emotional abuse she incurred during the marriage. Plaintiff indicated that a lump sum alimony award of $34,000 should have been granted. Additionally, the plaintiff contends the lump sum alimony award is justified on the grounds that the defendant was at fault in causing the divorce. We addressed the issue of an enhancement of an alimony award in syllabus point 4 of Rogers v. Rogers, 197 W.Va. 365, 475 S.E.2d 457 (1996), where we said: In appropriate circumstances, an enhancement of an award of maintenance/alimony based on the degree of fault is justified. Enhancement of a maintenance/alimony award by a fault premium may be awarded when additional support is required to reimburse the injured spouse for expenses directly related to the fault or to assure that the injured spouse continues to have the standard of living enjoyed during the marriage. A fault premium may also be applied to discourage the fault or behavior that contributed to the dissolution of the marriage. In determining an award of maintenance/alimony enhanced by a fault premium, the circuit court must consider the concrete financial realities of the parties. (emphasis added). The record in this case chronicles one incident where the defendant and plaintiff engaged in a fight and she sustained facial injuries. That incident occurred in 1987. The plaintiff left the home for a short period after this incident, but returned for six years before filing the instant divorce action. The record indicates further allegations by the plaintiff that she was abused, but no specific incidents were confirmed by testimony or documentary evidence. The plaintiff also alleges emotional abuse, but cites no specific pattern of conduct by the defendant that could reasonably be asserted as emotional abuse. Additionally, the divorce granted in this case was based upon irreconcilable differences. Neither the family law master nor the circuit court deemed the plaintiff's abuse allegations to be supported by the evidence. Mere allegations standing alone without any proper proof or testimony cannot be considered as evidence by the family law master or circuit court. We indicated in Williams v. Precision Coil, Inc., 194 W.Va. 52, 61 n. 14, 459 S.E.2d 329, 338 n. 14 (1995) that selfserving assertions without factual support in the record have no force or effect. In Powderidge Unit Owners Ass'n v. Highland Properties, Ltd., 196 W.Va. 692, 707, 474 S.E.2d 872, 887 (1996) we categorized such self-serving averments as nothing more than an attorney's argument lacking evidentiary support. (Citation omitted.) Evidence presented in a divorce case must be consistent with our Rules of Civil Procedure, Rules of Evidence and Rules of Practice and Procedure for Family Law. A divorce proceeding is not an opportunity for lawyers to circumvent our procedural and evidentiary rules. Those rules are applicable in divorce actions with the same force and vibrancy as in any other civil proceeding. Even if this Court disagreed with the circuit court and family law master on the issue of abuse by the defendant, when we consider the concrete financial realities of the parties, it is inconceivable that the defendant would be able to pay the plaintiff an additional $34,000 as an alimony enhancement award. See Syl. Pt. 2, Sandusky v. Sandusky, supra . Further, based upon the record before this Court, the plaintiff has failed to show where an enhancement alimony award is justified in this case. C.