Court Opinion

ID: 9722690
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 09:45:18.963626+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:24:38.749120
License: Public Domain

BAKER, Judge,
concurring in result.
I fully concur in the result reached by the majority. However, I would remand for an assessment of attorney fees against Mother.
Initially, I wish to point out that, although Indiana has continuing jurisdiction here, I am certain that our courts would be only too happy to send this case to California considering the judicial resources that the seemingly endless litigation between these ex-spouses consumes. However, we will spare our west coast colleagues this fate.
Indiana Rule of Appellate Procedure 66(E) provides, "The Court may assess damages if an appeal, petition, or motion, or response, is frivolous or in bad faith. Damages shall be in the Court's discretion and may include attorneys' fees. The Court shall remand the case for execu*379tion." Here, nearly all of the nine issues that Mother raised are barred by res judi-cata. As for the remaining issues, Mother presented no evidence to the trial court to sustain her burden of proof for the majority of the trial court's findings about which she now complains. Thus, I am compelled to conclude that Mother's litigation and appeal are clearly frivolous with respect to these issues, and Father is entitled to attorney fees. However, I would find that Father is only entitled to a portion of those fees inasmuch as Mother's argument regarding changed cireumstances, while weak, was not completely without merit.