Opinion ID: 1856345
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Whether the chancery court erred in awarding attorney fees to Penny Poole.

Text: ¶ 25. In its first Memorandum Opinion and Order, the chancery court found that Penny had incurred $2,400 in attorney fees, and ordered Calvin to pay to her $1,800 in attorney fees. Calvin argues that the chancellor erred in this regard because, but for the errors committed by the chancellor, he would have prevailed on his motion to modify, and thus no attorney fees would have been awarded to Penny. He also argues that Penny did not demonstrate that she lacked the financial ability to pay her attorney fees. ¶ 26. As suggested above, the chancery court did not err in denying Calvin's motion to modify. Also, Penny testified extensively regarding her income and her living and child care expenses, which expenses she testified were increasing each year as the children grew older. Chancellors enjoy broad discretion in the award of attorney fees in domestic cases. 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)). This Court holds that the chancery court did not abuse its discretion in ordering Calvin to pay to Penny $1,800 of her $2,400 in attorney fees. ¶ 27. Penny also has filed with this Court a motion for an award of attorney fees for her legal expenses incurred in litigating this appeal. She asserts that her attorney spent at least fifteen billable hours, at a rate of $90 per hour, researching and preparing her brief, and that she is unable to pay these fees as her expenses already exceed her income. This Court will grant her motion, and award her $1,350 in attorney fees incurred on appeal.