Court Opinion

ID: 9673028
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 04:04:49.90427+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:19.796989
License: Public Domain

*60GARRISON, Chief Judge,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent with reference to the issue concerning the award of attorney’s fees. As indicated in the principal opinion, an award of attorney’s fees is within the trial court’s discretion, and to show an abuse of that discretion, the complaining party bears the burden of showing that the award is clearly against the logic of the circumstances and so arbitrary and unreasonable as to shock one’s sense of justice. Said another way, an award of attorney’s fees should be affirmed unless it is so arbitrary or unreasonable that it indicates indifference and lack of proper judicial consideration. Ritter v. Ritter, 920 S.W.2d 151, 156 (Mo.App. W.D.1996). While the financial resources of the parties must be considered in determining an award of attorney’s fees, they are not the only, or the controlling, factor. Plunkett v. Aubuchon, 793 S.W.2d 554, 560 (Mo.App. E.D.1990). Other relevant factors must be considered in awarding attorney’s fees. Id. A trial court has the discretion to award attorney’s fees to a spouse who has been awarded sufficient assets to cover those fees. Halupa v. Halupa, 943 S.W.2d 272, 278 (Mo.App. E.D.1997). One spouse’s greater ability to pay is sufficient to support an award of attorney’s fees to the other spouse. Id.
Pursuant to the standards set out above, and the record presented here, I do not believe that the award of attorney’s fees was so clearly against the logic of the circumstances and so arbitrary and unreasonable as to shock a person’s sense of justice. I would affirm that award. I concur, however, with the majority opinion with reference to the issue of maintenance.