Opinion ID: 2570587
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: was the agreement unconscionable?

Text: The district court found that the agreement was not unconscionable as set forth in K.S.A. 23-807(a)(2). Under the KUPAA, unconscionability is only an issue if there is nondisclosure of assets. 1 Elrod and Buchele, Kansas Family Law § 2.32, p. 105. As noted earlier, previous law required marital agreements to be fair and equitable in [their] provisions; however, under the KUPAA, there is no evaluation of fairness. 1 Elrod and Buchele, Kansas Family Law § 2.32, p. 105. The ULA Comment to § 6 of the UPAA, 9B U.L.A. 376-77, sets forth a discussion concerning unconscionability and describes how a court might go about determining if an agreement is conscionable: The test of `unconscionability' is drawn from Section 306 of the Uniform Marriage and Divorce Act (UMDA) [citations omitted.] The following discussion set forth in the Commissioner's Note to Section 306 of the UMDA is equally appropriate here: `Subsection (b) undergirds the freedom allowed the parties by making clear that the terms of the agreement respecting maintenance and property disposition are binding upon the court unless those terms are found to be unconscionable. The standard of unconscionability is used in commercial law, where its meaning includes protection against one-sidedness, oppression, or unfair surprise [citations omitted], and in contract law [citations omitted]. It has been used in cases respecting divorce settlements or awards. [Citations omitted.] Hence the act does not introduce a novel standard unknown to the law. In the context of negotiations between spouses as to the financial incidents of their marriage, the standard includes protection against overreaching, concealment of assets, and sharp dealing not consistent with the obligations of marital partners to deal fairly with each other. `In order to determine whether the agreement is unconscionable, the court may look to the economic circumstances of the parties resulting from the agreement, and any other relevant evidence such as the conditions under which the agreement was made, including the knowledge of the other party. If the court finds the agreement not unconscionable, its terms respecting property division and maintenance may not be altered by the court at the hearing.' Although there is some dispute as to the value of GFS, there is no question that Davis received a significant settlement when she signed the marital agreement. There has been no overreaching, oppression, concealment of assets, or unfair surprise. The only question Davis raises concerning the assets is the question concerning the valuation of GFS. Davis was aware of Miller's property interests, as she was married to him for over 20 years. Davis does not assert that Miller hid or concealed any of his property from her. Under the agreement, Davis was provided the means to continue a lifestyle that was commensurate with the lifestyle she led when married to Miller. Davis was able to keep the family home, the power motor boat, $100,000 cash, and a promissory note worth over $1,000,000, among other significant property interests. The district court did not err in finding that the agreement was not unconscionable as described in K.S.A. 23-807(a)(2).