Court Opinion

ID: 9936032
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-02-09 18:57:13.572615+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:30:08.594655
License: Public Domain

The division of marital assets appears to inequitably favor the wife, particularly in light of the fact that the trial court made no finding of fault against the husband. If the $51,820 property settlement awarded to the wife is to be paid from the husband's $98,500 retirement account, it will contravene the statute. On remand, the *Page 736 
court may consider utilizing a "Qualified Domestic Relations Order" (QDRO) to ensure that the husband's retirement account will not be penalized by an unintended and unavoidable tax consequence, or the court may determine, based on the husband's reported gross receipts from his business, that he has ample resources to pay the property award. In any event, on remand the trial court should fashion a more equitable division of the marital assets.