Court Opinion

ID: 9575696
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 21:16:05.390895+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:49:47.966496
License: Public Domain

VALLÉE, J. pro tem.
I concur. Iagree with all that is said by Mr. Justice Shinn. The complaint in this action alleged extreme cruelty and, by implication, the existence of community property; and prayed (1) for a divorce, and (2) “that the court reserve jurisdiction to determine the rights of the parties as to community property and her rights to support and maintenance and make such order, judgment and decree with reference thereto as may be meet and proper in the premises and for all other, further and proper relief.” The a3iswer denied the allegations of cruelty and prayed that the plaintiff take nothing. Pursuant to the prayer of the complaint and a stipulation of the parties, the court, in the interlocutory and final .decrees, reserved jurisdiction to determine • the issues regarding community property of the parties and the division thereof and relating to support and maintenance between them. The decrees provided that a hearing as to such matters could be brought on by motion of either party at any time upon previous notice to the other party. The issues as to which jurisdiction was reserved have never been tried or determined. The action is still pending as to such issues. Ten years after the entry of the interlocutory decree plaintiff filed her “petition for award of alimony, division of community property, allowance of expenses of litigation, attorneys’ fees and other relief.” I construe this petition as a notice of motion pursuant to the decrees. Upon the filing of this petition the court issued an order directing defendant to show cause why he should not be required to pay plaintiff “. . . reasonable sums for attorneys’ fees and court costs, during the pendency of this action ...” It is from the order made upon the hearing of this order to show cause that this appeal was taken. It is clear to me that the order was one pendente lite for alimony, suit money and attorneys ’ fees. It was made pending the continuance of the action. It was to remain in force only until the determination of the issues as to which jurisdiction was re*152served. In his memorandum decision, the judge who heard the order to show cause said: ‘ ‘ This is an application by the plaintiff ior an allowance from the defendant of moneys on account of attorneys’ fees, costs, and for her support pending the action.” (Italics added.) The statement is partly in error. Alimony pendente lite was not asked for by plaintiff. Her counsel at the hearing repeatedly stated that she was only asking for suit money and attorneys’ fees. In his memorandum of points and authorities, submitted to the trial judge after the conclusion of the hearing, all counsel for plaintiff asked was that “the defendant should be ordered to pay to the plaintiff at this time the sum of $10,000 on account of fees of her attorneys, the sum of $3,500 on account of expenses of accountants and investigators, and $300 on account of costs of depositions and other expenses in these proceedings.” The judge hearing the matter, after submission, on his own motion, awarded the plaintiff “$500.00 per month toward her support pending hearing on the matter of her support.” ' (Italics added.) The award being pendente lite, section 137 of .the Civil Code applies and the court may only award alimony, suit money and attorneys’ fees upon a showing of necessity. The order contemplated by section 139 of the Civil Code is one for permanent support,—one made after a full and complete trial so that the court is in a position to make the award “having regard to the circumstances of the parties respectively.” (Italics added.)
There is nothing in either Scheibe v. Scheibe, 57 Cal.App. 2d 336 [134 P.2cl 835], Lamborn v. Lamborn, 190 Cal. 794 [214 P. 862], or McClure v. McClure, 4 Cal.2d 356 [49 P.2d 584,100 A.L.R. 1257], which lends support to the award made here. The Scheibe case was an appeal from an interlocutory decree granting a divorce, dividing property and awarding alimony to the innocent wife. Obviously the court had power, in the absence of a showing of necessity, to make the award of alimony under Civil Code, section 139. The Lamborn case involved only a question of jurisdiction. The former wife had been awarded alimony by a final decree of divorce. The former husband sought modification, which was granted. The former wife appealed from the order of modification and moved the court for attorneys’ fees and costs on the appeal thus taken. The former husband appealed from the order awarding attorneys’ fees and costs on the former wife’s appeal. The only contention made by the husband on this appeal was that the trial court had no jurisdiction to make an award of attorneys’ *153fees and costs on the appeal of the former wife. The Supreme Court held that the trial court had jurisdiction either under Civil Code, section 139 or under the last sentence of section 137 which authorizes the enforcement of a final judgment providing for support. The McClure case merely held that where a final decree of divorce awards a wife support, a later order releasing the husband permanently from liability for alimony may not thereafter be modified by an award of future support.
I do not think that counsel for defendant led the trial judge to believe that defendant conceded that the matter of deciding on the merits whether an award for support should be made was pending before the court. At the outset the judge expressed doubt about the validity of the reservation of jurisdiction in the decrees and about his power to proceed at all. Counsel for appellant questioned the sufficiency of the original “petition” because there was no allegation of necessity. [Respondent amended her petition to allege necessity. As I read the record, it was in connection with these matters and the jurisdiction of the court on the final hearing of the reserved issues that the statements referred to in the dissenting opinion were made. Defendant had a demurrer to the “petition” pending at the time. He was pressing his demurrer, and it was ruled upon with the ruling on the order to show cause. Even if it were material here as to what the judge thought was involved, and I do not think it is, there is no room for speculation, in my opinion, on that score. The judge stated what he understood the issue to be when, long after the statements were made and at the conclusion of the hearing, he said; “. . . the only matter before the Court now is counsel fees and costs on this preliminary motion, and the main issues that you have presented here have not yet been set for hearing. ” After submission, the judge apparently conceived the idea of making an allowance of alimony pendente lite and he did so. In any event, the matter is not relevant as we all agree that the judge had power to make an award pendente lite. We disagree on the question of whether necessity must be shown.
I do not find anything in the stipulation or in the provisions of the decrees, with respect to the reservation of jurisdiction, which can be construed as an implied agreement on the part of the defendant for action (the making of the allowances without a showing of necessity) which is not authorized by statute. The defendant cannot be precluded from asserting the limitations on the court’s jurisdiction except on the basis of estoppel *154or waiver found in the stipulation. There is no basis for an estoppel in the stipulation. All that the stipulation as carried into the decrees means, is that the court may exercise its jurisdiction in the future, subject to whatever limitations the law prescribes and not in any other way. The stipulation was not one as to the manner in which the court’s jurisdiction should be exercised. There was no waiver. The defendant at all times contended that proof of necessity was a prerequisite to any order. He went so far as to force an amendment of the “petition” to allege necessity.
In my opinion, the award of alimony pendente lite, suit money and attorneys’ fees to a wealthy woman upon a perfunctory hearing is clearly beyond the statutory or equity powers of the court. An award not based upon a showing of necessity, without a full and complete trial so that the court may make an award “having regard to the circumstances of the parties respectively,” is not only an abuse of discretion but a gross miscarriage of justice.