Opinion ID: 1969159
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Disallowance of Attorneys' Fees and Disbursements.

Text: The county court's memorandum opinion states the reasons why he denied plaintiff's application to require defendant to pay a sum to cover attorneys' fees and disbursements on the appeal. The first, and principal reason advanced, was that there was little likelihood of a successful appeal. The second, and subsidiary, reason assigned was that the Linds rather than plaintiff were the ones who were the most interested in prosecuting an appeal, and they had sufficient financial means to pay the expenses of such appeal. There is nothing in the record to disclose the correctness of this latter assumption, and we accord it no weight in arriving at our decision on this issue. The allowance or disallowance of an application to require a defendant husband to pay a sum to cover attorneys' fees and disbursements of plaintiff wife in appealing from an order affecting custody or support of a minor child lies within the sound discretion of the trial court. Unfortunately, however, sec. 251.431, Stats. 1961, provides no guidelines for the exercise of the trial court's discretion in this respect. Our holding in Peck v. Peck (1956), 272 Wis. 466, 472, 76 N. W. (2d) 316, 56 A. L. R. (2d) 1202, in a somewhat-analogous situation, was that it would be an abuse of discretion to refuse such an allowance if the wife was without funds to prosecute the appeal where a close question was presented. One of the elements to be considered in making such an allowance in divorce actions generally is whether reasonable ground exists to support a belief that the appeal will be successful. Valluzzo v. Valluzzo (1926), 104 Conn. 152, 132 Atl. 406; Beczek v. Beczek (1960), 359 Mich. 677, 103 N. W. (2d) 355; Pearson v. Pearson (1959), 9 App. Div. (2d) 897, 194 N. Y. Supp. (2d) 999, reargument and appeal denied (1960), 10 App. Div. (2d) 582, 196 N. Y. Supp. (2d) 612; 27A C. J. S., Divorce, pp. 959, 960, sec. 221 h. See also Friend v. Friend (1886), 65 Wis. 412, 27 N. W. 34. Here we have no reason to question the good faith of the appeal, but counsel for plaintiff must have realized that under the past decisions of this court in change-of-custody cases there was little likelihood of success. We find no abuse of discretion in denying the application. By the Court. Orders affirmed.