Opinion ID: 1796863
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 15

Heading: the chancery court erred in awarding marie lump sum alimony.

Text: It is hornbook law that whether to award alimony and the amount to be awarded are largely within the discretion of the chancellor. Creekmore v. Creekmore, 651 So.2d 513, 517 (Miss. 1995) (citing Cherry v. Cherry, 593 So.2d 13, 19 (Miss. 1991)). This Court will not disturb a chancellor's decision on alimony on appeal unless it is found to be against the overwhelming weight of the evidence or manifestly in error. Creekmore, 651 So.2d at 517 (citing McNally v. McNally, 516 So.2d 499, 501 (Miss. 1987)). In Cheatham v. Cheatham, 537 So.2d 435, 438 (Miss. 1988), the following factors were considered in awarding lump-sum alimony: 1) substantial contribution to accumulation of wealth by quitting job to become housewife or assisting in husband's business; 2) long marriage; 3) separate income or separate estate meager in comparison to that of payor spouse; and 4) financial security without lump-sum alimony. Most important is a comparison of the estates. Subsequent to the decision in Cheatham, this Court has consistently employed these four factors when reviewing lump-sum alimony. Tilley v. Tilley, 610 So.2d 348, 352 (Miss. 1992); Smith v. Smith, 607 So.2d 122, 126 (Miss. 1992); Cleveland v. Cleveland, 600 So.2d 193, 197 (Miss. 1992). Disparity of the separate estates has continued to be the most compelling factor. Tilley, 610 So.2d at 352. No findings are provided to explain the chancellor's award of $2,500 in lump-sum alimony; however, it is reasonable to infer that this sum was awarded based on Marie's estimated monthly costs of living in the sum of $2,313.50, and was allowed in an effort to assist her getting a new start in California. Generally, when there are no specific findings of fact, this Court often assumes that the chancellor resolved fact issues in favor of the appellee. Newsom v. Newsom, 557 So.2d 511, 514 (Miss. 1990). This Court will also proceed on the assumption that the chancellor made determinations of fact sufficient to support its judgment. Pace v. Owens, 511 So.2d 489, 492 (Miss. 1987). In such circumstances this Court must look to the evidence and see what state of facts, if any, will justify the decree. Id. (citing Boatright v. Horton, 233 Miss. 444, 102 So.2d 373, 374 (1958)). At the time of the hearing, Marie was sixty-five years of age, in relatively good health, and was receiving Social Security payments of approximately $101 per month from Roy's premarital earned income. She was planning on moving to back to California to make a new life for herself. Roy, at the time of the hearing, was a retired seventy-three-year-old heart patient with prostate cancer, incapable of gainful employment. He had no income other than retirement funds from Social Security and his teacher's retirement, which was earned prior to this marriage and at the time of the hearing amounted to $1,153 a month. Roy's daughter, who occasionally lived with him, gave him financial assistance to meet his monthly expenses. Based on the foregoing authorities, it is the opinion of this Court that the chancellor acted within his discretion and did not commit reversible error in requiring Roy to pay Marie $2,500 in lump-sum alimony. Accordingly, this assignment of error on cross-appeal is without merit.