Opinion ID: 1676263
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: standard of review for issues b f

Text: This Court will reverse a chancellor only when he is manifestly wrong. Hans v. Hans, 482 So.2d 1117, 1119 (Miss. 1986). The chancellor's findings will not be disturbed unless he was manifestly wrong, clearly erroneous, or an erroneous legal standard was applied. Faries v. Faries, 607 So.2d 1204, 1208 (Miss. 1992); Tinnin v. First United Bank of Miss., 570 So.2d 1193, 1194 (Miss. 1990). Especially in the divorce arena, the chancellor's findings will not be reversed unless manifestly wrong. Tilley v. Tilley, 610 So.2d 348, 351 (Miss. 1992).
The four factors to be considered in awarding lump sum alimony were set forth in Cheatham v. Cheatham, 537 So.2d 435 (Miss. 1988): substantial contribution to accumulation of wealth by quitting a job or assisting in the husband's business; a long marriage; separate income or separate estate in comparison to that of the payor; and financial security without any lump sum alimony. Id. at 438. Most important of these factors is a comparison of the estates. Id. Charles attacks the chancellor's award of lump sum alimony because no financial statements were offered at trial and because Elaine fails the Cheatham test. Elaine responds that the chancellor may excuse presentation of financial statements pursuant to Uniform Chancery Court Rule 8.05 and that he had before him sufficient financial information on which to base a decision. Elaine further argues that Cheatham does not apply to this case because it governs only large awards of lump sum alimony. It is true that Uniform Chancery Court Rule 8.05 requires each party to a domestic case involving economic issues to provide a detailed financial statement to the court. It is also true that the court may, pursuant to Rule 8.05, excuse such a requirement. As the chancellor indeed made an award of lump sum alimony and did not mention on the record the lack of financial statements, it can be assumed that the requirement of such financial statements was properly excused in this case. See Pace v. Owens, 511 So.2d 489, 492 (Miss. 1987) (when no specific findings of fact, this Court assumes the trial court made factual determinations sufficient to support its judgment). Moreover, Charles did not object to the lack of financial statements at trial, nor did he raise this issue in his motion for new trial. Charles claims his net worth would be greater were it not for Elaine's losing business ventures. Elaine argues that her work contributed to Charles' accumulation of wealth. Charles drove a pick-up truck; Elaine was awarded the Mercury Marquis. Charles also owned a home and the land on which it is situated. Charles had a bulldozer business which is apparently still a going concern and which showed a net profit of $12,300.00 in 1989, two years prior to the divorce. The tree planting business had alternately been shown as Charles', then as Elaine's business. It appears that most of the couple's expenses were paid from the tree planting account. The tree planting business' net profit in 1989 was $4,140.00. The venetian blind business lost $12,127.00 in 1989 and was no longer in existence. Elaine's custom design business was no longer in existence. The IRS at one time found the couple had overstated their expenses or under-reported their income by about $50,000.00. Elaine netted $1,100.00 a month from her job at Royal Maid. She evidently owned some land, the mineral rights to which she has leased. Elaine also owned an acre of land and a house thereon. No evidence was presented regarding any other investments, debts, or incomes of the parties. Although the chancellor's opinion does not cite Cheatham, it appears that he relied, at least in part, on the Cheatham factors in making the award of lump sum alimony. Elaine's contention that Cheatham does not apply to a small award of lump sum alimony such as that at issue here is correct. Cheatham, 537 So.2d at 438. This Court said in Gray v. Gray, 562 So.2d 79, 83 (Miss. 1990), that the amount of alimony should be reasonable ... commensurate with the wife's accustomed standard of living, minus her own resources, and considering the ability of the husband to pay. Both parties should be allowed to maintain a `decent standard of living.' Monroe v. Monroe, 612 So.2d 353, 357 (Miss. 1992). The chancellor's finding regarding the lump sum alimony was that Elaine had abandoned a good job with a future of owning an interest in the business in order to marry Charles. Elaine was described as industrious and hard-working, doing jobs that might have been considered by some people to be man's work. She was found by the chancellor to have made a significant contribution to the profits of the tree planting business, as evidenced by the purchase, with tree planting profits, of two $10,000.00 certificates of deposit in two years. Based on this record, this Court holds the chancellor's award of $15,000.00 lump sum alimony to be reasonable and, therefore, this Court affirms.
Charles simply argues that Elaine is financially able to pay her attorney fees, therefore the chancellor erred. Elaine claims she is unable to pay her attorney fees and that she testified to this inability at trial. Regarding the award of attorney fees for representation through the divorce hearing, Elaine testified that she was unable to pay her attorney the $1,000.00 balance on the $2,500.00 fee. Although the record does not reveal what expenses Elaine must pay from her net salary of $1,100.00 a month, and does not provide details on the value of her mineral rights or any other income or investments she may have, the chancellor apparently found Elaine's testimony credible enough to support an award of attorney fees in the amount of $1,000.00. Given the chancellor's discretion in awarding attorney fees and his sole authority to determine witness credibility [ Mullins v. Ratcliff, 515 So.2d 1183, 1189 (Miss. 1987)], this award is affirmed. Additionally, the chancellor awarded Elaine $600.00 in attorney fees for defending Charles' motion for new trial seeking alteration of the court's decree. Elaine argues that since Charles forced her to defend the witness tampering issue, seeking without justification an alteration of the court's decree, he should pay her attorney fees. In support of this proposition, Elaine cites Owen v. Gerity, 422 So.2d 284, 289 (Miss. 1982) (despite appellant's ability to pay, appellee's post-divorce action had required appellant to hire attorney, therefore appellee should pay attorney fee). Charles failed in his attempt to prove witness tampering. Consequently, as this Court has affirmed the chancellor's denial of Charles' motion for new trial, the award of $600.00 in attorney fees is also affirmed.