Court Opinion

ID: 9725927
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 12:20:58.404686+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:25:21.465021
License: Public Domain

PRESIDING JUSTICE HUTCHINSON, specially concurring: I write separately in this case to address the majority’s finding that the trial court properly found the respondent to be in indirect civil contempt. This specific finding in the section of the disposition addressing the award of attorney fees is improper in light of the majority’s earlier conclusion that no appellate jurisdiction existed concerning the contempt issue. “The question of jurisdiction of the appellate court must be determined prior to deciding the merits of an appeal.” Steel City Bank v. Village of Orland Hills, 224 Ill. App. 3d 412, 416 (1991). Once an appellate court determines that jurisdiction does not exist on any given issue, the appeal as it relates to that issue must be dismissed. Steel City Bank, 224 Ill. App. 3d at 416. Furthermore, Illinois courts lack jurisdiction to render advisory opinions. People ex rel. Black v. Dukes, 96 Ill. 2d 273, 276-77 (1983). In this case, the majority properly dismissed the respondent’s appeal as it related to the finding of contempt. Without the imposition of a penalty and the opportunity to purge the contempt, no final, appeal-able order existed. See Vowell v. Pedersen, 315 Ill. App. 3d 665, 666 (2000). The majority indicated that, to the extent the contempt finding was relevant to the issue of attorney fees, the matter would be addressed in that context. While I agree that a review of an award of attorney fees pursuant to section 508(b) of the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (750 ILCS 5/508(b) (West 2000)) requires that this court consider the trial court’s reasons for determining that the respondent’s failure to comply with an order or judgment was without compelling cause or justification, this court does not need to and should not extend that review to the ultimate finding of contempt when this court lacks jurisdiction on the issue of contempt. Respondent clearly chose to heed the advice from third parties about his child support reporting and payment obligations rather than follow the trial court’s unambiguous judgment dissolving the marriage between petitioner and respondent. To make matters worse for respondent, the trial court’s judgment incorporated the marital settlement agreement that he signed and acknowledged, presumably in good faith and conscience for the welfare of his children. His deliberate disregard for his agreement, which was incorporated into the judgment of dissolution entered by the trial court, required that petitioner intercede to enforce respondent’s reporting and payment obligations. That intercession was costly. Section 508(b) mandates the reimbursement of reasonable attorney fees and costs to the prevailing party when the failure to comply with an order or judgment is without compelling cause or justification. A finding of “contempt” is not a necessary condition precedent to an award of attorney fees pursuant to section 508(b). See In re Marriage of Gattone, 317 Ill. App. 3d 346, 359 (2000) (requiring only that a trial court find that a party violated a court order “without compelling cause or justification” before awarding attorney fees as a sanction). Accordingly, I agree with the majority’s decision to affirm as modified the award of child support, to affirm the award of attorney fees, and to dismiss the respondent’s appeal of his contempt finding. But, because we lack jurisdiction to consider the issue of respondent’s contempt and we are without authority to render what would effectively be an advisory opinion, I cannot agree with the majority’s use of respondent’s contempt finding to justify, in part, the award of attorney fees.