Opinion ID: 1210888
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Sufficiency Of Alimony Amount

Text: The plaintiff contends that her award of $375 per month as alimony is insufficient to maintain the style of living to which she was accustomed during her marriage. Factors which a circuit court must consider in determining the issue of alimony are set out in W.Va.Code § 48-2-16(b) (1984). [1] This Court noted in syllabus point 1, in part, of Corbin v. Corbin, 157 W.Va. 967, 206 S.E.2d 898 (1974), modified, In re Estate of Hereford, 162 W.Va. 477, 250 S.E.2d 45 (1978) that no specific weight is assigned to any one criterion, and the trial judge in his sound discretion may accord such weight to any or all of these criteria as he deems appropriate. We have also long held that [t]he decision to grant or deny alimony is reviewed by this Court for an abuse of discretion. Banker v. Banker, 196 W.Va. 535, 548, 474 S.E.2d 465, 478 (1996). In the single syllabus of Nichols v. Nichols, 160 W.Va. 514, 236 S.E.2d 36 (1977) we held that: Questions relating to alimony and to the maintenance and custody of the children are within the sound discretion of the court and its action with respect to such matters will not be disturbed on appeal unless it clearly appears that such discretion has been abused. See Syl. Pt. 2, Wood v. Wood (II), 190 W.Va. 445, 438 S.E.2d 788 (1993); Syl. Pt. 8, Wyant v. Wyant, 184 W.Va. 434, 400 S.E.2d 869 (1990); Syl., Luff v. Luff, 174 W.Va. 734, 329 S.E.2d 100 (1985). In Banker we gave the following explanation of the three principal ways in which an abuse of discretion might arise: An abuse of discretion occurs in three principal ways: (1) when a relevant factor that should have been given significant weight is not considered; (2) when all proper factors, and no improper ones, are considered, but the family law master in weighing those factors commits a clear error of judgment; and (3) when the family law master fails to exercise any discretion at all in issuing the order. Banker, 196 W.Va. at 548, 474 S.E.2d at 478. In the instant proceeding, the family law master recommended alimony for the plaintiff as follows: (1) rehabilitative alimony in the amount of $500 per month for thirty months, which totaled $15,000; and (2) permanent alimony of $150 per month until plaintiff remarries, either party dies, the defendant attains the age of sixty-five, or further order of the court. The circuit court adopted the alimony recommendation except for the amount of permanent alimony. The final order of the circuit court found [t]hat the award of permanent alimony by the Family Law Master in the amount of one hundred fifty dollars was an abuse of discretion when the chances of rehabilitation of the plaintiff are carefully considered in light of her age, education, and job potential in the current economic situations. The circuit court determined that a fair amount of permanent alimony would be $375 per month. Plaintiff urges this Court to award her permanent alimony in the amount of $1,300 per month. The record indicates that at the time of the divorce, the defendant's net income was $2,800 per month. With the exception of one credit card debt, the defendant was ordered to pay all of the marital debts. [2] Additionally, the defendant was required to borrow $34,000 to pay the plaintiff her equitable share of the marital home. In view of the limited financial resources of the parties during the marriage and the assumption of the marital debts by the defendant, there is no factual or legal basis to support an alimony award of $1,300 per month. We made abundantly clear in syllabus point 2 of Sandusky v. Sandusky, 166 W.Va. 383, 271 S.E.2d 434 (1981) that `[a]limony must not be disproportionate to a [person's] ability to pay as disclosed by the evidence before the court.' Syllabus, Miller v. Miller, 114 W.Va. 600, 172 S.E. 893 (1934). [3] Moreover, we pointed out in Hardy v. Hardy, 197 W.Va. 243, 247, 475 S.E.2d 335, 339 (1996) that  Stephen L.H. v. Sherry L.H . and its progeny require substantial deference be given to a family law master's factual findings and recommendations[.] The circuit court rejected the family law master's recommendation on the amount of alimony on the grounds that employment prospects for the plaintiff were nonexistent in view of her age, education and the current job market. The record on appeal is devoid of any findings to support the circuit court's decision to set aside the family law master's recommendation of $150 per month alimony. The order is devoid of any analysis by the circuit court of the factors to be considered when one determines alimony pursuant to W.Va.Code § 48-2-16(b). As such, the final order is insufficient regarding the issue of alimony as the order provides no factual and legal basis by which this Court can facilitate meaningful review [4] . See Province v. Province, 196 W.Va. 473, 473 S.E.2d 894 (W.Va. 1996). Therefore, we are remanding this issue of alimony with instructions that the circuit court reinstate the recommendation of the family law master or provide findings to support an award of $375 per month. B.