Court Opinion

ID: 9657209
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 20:17:30.774739+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:13:42.195058
License: Public Domain

NIERENGARTEN, Judge
(dissenting).
I respectfully dissent. The evidence established the parties were relatively debt-free. There were no minor children at home. Consequently, both June and Leo could concentrate on their own needs. Three of the children are in some type of post-high school education program and Leo contributed $200 monthly toward their achieving that goal, when, it seems to me, he could have reserved that $200 for other minimal needs of his own. In his list of expenses, he indicated only $20 per month for miscellaneous expenses, $25 per month clothing, and perhaps most significantly, nothing was budgeted for retirement purposes. Leo is 55 years old and has no retirement fund, no pension plan or savings account and did not include this in his budget. In addition, I note that payment of $6,000 to June for her interest in the home will impose an unbudgeted expense. Granted, that while “the needs of adult children do not take precedence over the needs of the mother,” there is no showing by the majority that a remand would require a different distribution of funds than that already ordered by the court. While it is true June has minimal funds with which to meet her financial needs, it is also glaringly apparent that Leo is using $200 for his children’s benefit that he could have well used for his own financial needs.
It appears the trial court has already addressed the Minn.Stat. 518.552 factors in determining an adequate amount of maintenance. The court’s findings and memorandum clearly reflect consideration of the parties’ age, health and training. Consideration of June’s contribution is shown in the 50-50 division of the only asset, the family home. The court then balanced the needs of June with the ability of Leo to provide maintenance. Spousal maintenance is not a right and is granted at the trial court’s discretion. Cooper v. Cooper, 298 Minn. 247, 214 N.W.2d 682 (1974). The Minnesota Supreme Court recognizes that there are occasions when an appellate court can find support for the trial court’s decision by independent review of the record. Moylan v. Moylan, 384 N.W.2d 859, 865 *105(Minn.1986). The record must indicate that the trial court considered the required factors. Id. The trial court in this case did so.
June is healthy, has some education and job skills, and found part-time work without too much difficulty. In light of Leo’s income of $1,000 per month and expenses of $700 plus $200 for the education of the children, or whatever other necessary living expenses which the record indicates he certainly could have claimed, it was not an abuse of discretion to award maintenance of only $100 per month.
Nothing in Minn.Stat. 518.552, subd. 3 (Supp.1985) mandates, under these facts, a permanent award. The court evidently harbored no uncertainty as to the necessity of a permanent award, and the record does not require such an award.
We ought to do more than just pay lip service to the discretionary power that rests in a trial court. Here the record reflects the trial court’s consideration of the necessary factors and supports the trial court’s decision. We in turn ought to support that decision and affirm.