Court Opinion

ID: 9594882
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 00:33:42.769373+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:01:25.235163
License: Public Domain

Barrow, X,
concurring in part and dissenting in part.
While I concur with the majority’s disposition of the merits of this appeal, I believe that the trial court should not have imposed sanctions in this case. As the majority observes, no law exists in Virginia regarding the standard of review of arbitration agreements in domestic relations cases. Furthermore, the appellant’s challenge to the arbitrator’s determination that recrimination did not bar an award of spousal support to the wife involved an interpretation of a relatively new amendment to Code § 20-107.1. Consequently, I believe that “a competent attorney, after reasonable inquiry, could . . . have formed a reasonable belief” that the appellant’s contention was “warranted by existing law.” Tullidge v. Board of Supervisors, 239 Va. 611, 614, 391 S.E.2d 288, 290 (1990). Furthermore, I would resolve any doubt in his favor.