Opinion ID: 2601692
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: In re Marriage of Schelp

Text: Rainer Schelp filed a petition for legal separation from his wife Catherine Schelp on April 16, 2003, before the new rule went into effect. The trial court dissolved their marriage on May 19, 2004, and entered permanent orders on June 15, 2004, nunc pro tunc to May 19, 2004. In these permanent orders, the trial court divided the husband's AMPEX pension equally between the parties and stated that the parties would prepare a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) and other documentation to achieve that division. While the parties cooperated in preparing the QDRO, Rainer Schelp represented that the premarital share of the pension equaled twenty-three days of benefits. However, he subsequently admitted that the premarital share of the pension equaled nearly twelve and a half years of benefits. Because Rainer Schelp's premarital share increased substantially, the marital share that Catherine Schelp believed she was entitled to decreased substantially. Catherine Schelp filed a post-decree motion on April 21, 2005, alleging that her husband should have accurately disclosed the value of the premarital share. She requested that the court fashion some other division of the AMPEX pension which takes into account Petitioner's undisclosed and quite valuable premarital share. Catherine Schelp filed this motion four months after the new rule went into effect and ten months after the permanent orders were entered. The trial court appointed a Special Master to investigate Rainer Schelp's disclosure of the pension. After considering the findings of the Special Master, the trial court exercised jurisdiction over the case, reopened the property division, and awarded the entire marital share of the pension to Catherine Schelp.