Opinion ID: 1335850
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Attorney's and Expert Witness Fees

Text: The second issue raised by the defendant concerns her claim for attorney's fees and expert witness fees. The family law master and the circuit court both determined each party should bear their own expenses and attorney's fees because each party received the same amount of assets. The defendant claims she should be entitled to collect her attorney's fees and expert witness fees incurred during the divorce litigation. See W.Va.Code, 48-2-13(a)(6)(A) (1993). [18] There is no need to tarry here. Having read the record and carefully considered the parties' briefs, we are not hesitant in holding that it was an abuse of discretion to deny the defendant reasonable attorney's fees and expert witness fees. Consequently, we reverse the circuit court's decision and remand this matter for a hearing and a determination consistent with the foregoing. The defendant makes two arguments in support of her claim for attorney's fees and costs. First, she contends that throughout the prolonged proceedings, she was forced to fight, in effect, `with one hand tied behind her back' because the defendant had access to all the marital funds and documentation of the marital assets. She alleges she was forced to beg and cajole the production of records and information. Second, the defendant contends she was forced to make do with a $50,000 advance, a share of the plaintiff's noncompetition agreement, and a partnership share of some rental income while the defendant's salary approached $200,000 per year. The plaintiff states the defendant misrepresents her income. He claims her assertion that she was ultimately required to support herself' with limited income for over four years is not supported by the record. In addition to the $50,000 lump sum payment she received following the preliminary hearing, the defendant received partnership income in excess of $40,000 per year from 1531 Realty. The record shows that during the years 1989 through 1993 the defendant's income from 1531 Realty alone was in excess of $190,000. At a hearing held in June of 1990, the defendant admitted receiving in excess of $160,000 in income since the preliminary order was entered in the case two years earlier. In 1993, the defendant began receiving proceeds from the plaintiff's noncompetition agreement with Pepsi-Cola totalling $100,000 per year. These payments are to continue until 1997. The circuit court stated in its April, 1993, order that the defendant had received over $250,000 from the marital estate. Finally, during the pendency of the litigation, the plaintiff made all the required interest payments on the marital loans, including the Barboursville home in which the defendant resided. The circuit court stated these payments exceeded $1,400,000. The plaintiff also paid the parties' outstanding debts including credit card bills. Both the arguments of the parties and the rulings below miss the relevant issue brought out by the facts of this case. In Sellitti v. Sellitti, 192 W.Va. 546, 453 S.E.2d 380 (1994), we recognized that under W.Va. Code, 48-2-13(a)(6)(A), a circuit court has the authority to order the payment of reasonable attorney's fees and costs. We held in Syllabus Point 15 of Bettinger v. Bettinger, 183 W.Va. 528, 396 S.E.2d 709 (1990), that [r]eimbursement for reasonable expert witness fees is permissible under similar financial considerations as those used in awarding attorney's fees. Furthermore, in Hillberry v. Hillberry, 195 W.Va. at 606-07, 466 S.E.2d at 457-58, we clearly held that an examination of the relative fault of the parties in the deterioration of the marriage is a proper consideration in assessing attorney fees [and expert witness fees]. The circuit court's determination to deny the defendant attorney's fees and expert witness fees was narrowly focused upon the relative financial parity in the distribution of marital assets. The determination of this issue is to be accorded far greater scope than that given by the circuit court. The evidence is sufficient to support a finding that this marriage would not have been brought to this point but for the plaintiff's continued affairs with his former secretary. Furthermore, the evidence in this case reveals incontestably that the defendant entered this proceeding with clean hands. In divorce cases, the fault factor is premised upon the notion that it is unfair to force a litigant to pay for the cost of litigation that is wholly caused by the misconduct of the opposing party. Yet, neither the family law master nor the circuit court gave fault any reasonable or fair consideration. Thus, we find the failure to give sufficient consideration to a significant factor constitutes an abuse of discretion requiring a remand for further consideration. Upon remand, it must be determined whether the defendant is entitled to have the reasonable cost of her attorney's fees and expert witness fees, including the cost of prosecuting this appeal, but only after considering all the appropriate factors, including the fault of the plaintiff. In divorce actions, an award of attorney's fees rests initially within the sound discretion of the family law master and should not be disturbed on appeal absent an abuse of discretion. In determining whether to award attorney's fees, the family law master should consider a wide array of factors, including the party's ability to pay his or her own fee, the beneficial results obtained by the attorney, the parties' respective financial conditions, the effect of the attorney's fees on each party's standard of living, the degree of fault of either party making the divorce action necessary, and the reasonableness of the attorney's fee request. As a final matter, we note the circuit court expressed concern over the amount of some of the items the defendant listed in her efforts to obtain attorney's fees and expert witness fees. [19] As guidance to the circuit court in addressing this issue upon remand, we refer the court to our holding in Syllabus Point 4 of Aetna Casualty & Surety Co. v. Pitrolo, 176 W.Va. 190, 342 S.E.2d 156 (1986), wherein we held in part: The reasonableness of attorney's fees is generally based on broad[ ] factors such as: (1) the time and labor required; (2) the novelty and difficulty of the questions; (3) the skill requisite to perform the legal service properly; (4) the preclusion of other employment by the attorney due acceptance of the case; (5) the customary fee;... (7) time limitations imposed by the client or the circumstances; (8) the amount involved and the results obtained; (9) the experience, reputation, and ability of the attorneys; (10) the undesirability of the case; (11) the nature and length of the professional relationship with the client; and (12) awards in similar cases. See Bettinger v. Bettinger, 183 W.Va. at 543 n. 28, 396 S.E.2d at 724 n. 28. On remand, the circuit court may examine these factors in determining the reasonableness of defendant's attorney and expert witness fees, and may incorporate its determination in the award of attorney and expert witness fees.