Opinion ID: 901817
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: standard of review

Text: [¶ 6.] The applicable standard of review varies depending on whether the issue is one of fact or one of law. A circuit court's findings of fact will not be set aside unless they are clearly erroneous. SDCL 15-6-52(a). The question is not whether this Court would have made the same findings the circuit court did, but whether on the entire evidence, we are left with a definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been committed. New Era Mining Co. v. Dakota Placers, Inc., 1999 SD 153, ¶ 7, 603 N.W.2d 202, 204 (citations omitted). By contrast, conclusions of law are reviewed under a de novo standard, giving no deference to the circuit court's conclusions of law. Id. [¶ 7.] It is well established that a circuit court's division of property is not bound by any mathematical formula. Johnson v. Johnson, 2007 SD 56, ¶44, 734 N.W.2d 801, 812 (quoting Grode v. Grode, 1996 SD 15, ¶ 9, 543 N.W.2d 795, 800). See Endres v. Endres, 532 N.W.2d 65, 71 (S.D.1995); Kost v. Kost, 515 N.W.2d 209, 213 (S.D.1994); Kappenmann v. Kappenmann, 479 N.W.2d 520, 524 (S.D.1992); Hanson v. Hanson, 252 N.W.2d 907, 908 (S.D.1977). We will not overturn a property division unless the circuit court abused its discretion, which occurs when a court exercises its discretion to an end or purpose not justified by, and clearly against, reason and evidence. Kost, 515 N.W.2d at 212 (citation omitted). The inquiry is not whether we would have made a like ruling, but whether a judicial mind, in view of the law and the circumstances of the particular case, could reasonably have reached such a conclusion. DeVries v. DeVries, 519 N.W.2d 73, 75 (S.D.1994) (citation omitted). The law requires an equitable, not necessarily equal, division of assets. Halbersma I, 2007 SD 91, ¶ 28, 738 N.W.2d at 551 (Konenkamp, J., concurring).