Court Opinion

ID: 7815078
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-09-07 17:33:08.69587+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:30:34.772122
License: Public Domain

Ed. F. McFaddiN, Associate Justice (dissenting). Stripped of all extraneous matters, the only real question on this appeal is whether the Chancery Court abused its discretion in awarding Mrs. Stokenbury only $40.00 to defend the divorce suit brought by her husband in the Washington Chancery Court. Let it be remembered that the Chancery Court was hearing a motion for suit money in advance of any trial; and that after hearing the case on its merits, the Court may then make additional awards for attorneys ’ fees and adjudge all costs against the husband, including those of taking depositions. On this preliminary motion for suit money and attorneys’ fee, the Chancellor allowed Mrs. Stokenbury $50.00 attorneys’ fee and $40.00 suit money. No complaint is made as to the $50.00 attorneys’ fee, but it is claimed on this appeal that the Chancery Court abused its discretion in only allowing $40.00 to Mrs. Stokenbury to present her defense. I think she was really trying to present her offense. But, be that as it may, the question is whether the Trial Court abused its discretion in allowing only $40.00 for suit money. I cannot say that the Chancellor abused his discretion. I think it is bad practice for the Supreme Court to attempt to supervise the Chancellor’s discretion to the extent of $110.00 in a preliminary matter like this. The Chancery Court hears a score of these divorce cases against only one that comes to this Court. The Chancellor sees the parties and can judge as to their sincerity, etc.: we see only the printed page. Therefore, we, as Appellate Judges, should be most reluctant to proclaim that the Chancellor abused his discretion to the extent of $110.00. When we embark on a policy of controlling the Chancellor’s discretion on such an order as this one, we are opening the floodgates to a rash of appeals on orders that are, to a large measure, entirely interlocutory, and we are encouraging litigants to appeal every temporary allowance award to this Court, thereby delaying the Chancery Court in concluding the trial of the cause. I am thoroughly of the opinion that the Chancellor did not abuse his discretion and that his order should he affirmed.