Court Opinion

ID: 9673174
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 04:07:37.863074+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:20.494424
License: Public Domain

John A. Fogleman, Chiéf Justice, concurring in part; dissenting in part. I agree that appellant had standing to challenge the constitutionality of Ark. Stat. Ann. § 34-1211 (Repl. 1962) and that this section of the statute is unconstitutional by the standards established in Orr v. Orr, 440 U.S. 268, 99 S. Ct. 1102, 59 L. Ed. 2d 306 (1979). I also agree that Act 705 of 1979 is prospective in effect. I would add that it could not have been retroactive. A decree of absolute divorce was granted Mrs. Sweeney upon her counterclaim. There has been no attempt, on appeal, to obtain a reversal of that portion of the decree. It has become final; it is not affected by the decision here, and is the basis for any allowances made to her and for any award of property. Her rights were then fixed. Even if it could be argued that the rights of appellant and appellee upon entry of the divorce decree were not property rights, they were certainly substantive rights. It is well settled generally that retrospective laws are unconstitutional if they affect substantive or substantial rights. Gillioz v. Kincannon, 213 Ark. 1010, 214 S.W. 2d 212. My point of departure from the majority opinion commences just after the statement that no statutory law exists to apply on remand. In my judgment, the opinion might well have ended there, because if no statutory law exists, no law whatever exists authorizing the allowance of alimony where the divorce is absolute. It was only by statute that the meaning of the word alimony was extended to include an allowance by the court on dissolving the bonds of matrimony. Bauman v. Bauman, 18 Ark. 320; Wood v. Wood, 54 Ark. 172, 15 S.W. 459. There has never been any common law right to alimony, attorney’s fees or award of property to a spouse obtaining a divorce. The matter is treated extensively in a well recognized text on the subject of divorce, and is capsuled by the writer in an early section of the text, viz: As a result of the history of the subject, discussed in the preceding section, the law of divorce and jurisdiction to grant absolute divorces are statutory. It has been repeated time after time, in fact, that divorce proceedings are “purely” or “entirely” statutory, and that divorce is a special statutory remedy. The power of the courts over divorce suits is derived entirely from the statutes, and is wholly dependent thereon. For example, only such judgments may be entered as are authorized by statute, and all the legislative requirements must be fulfilled to give the court jurisdiction. Not only must the statutes be strictly complied with, but they are also, usually, rather strictly construed. 1 Nelson, Divorce & Annulment (2d. Ed.) 5, § 1.02. The matter is also explained in an annotation relating to alimony. See 34 ALR 2d 313, at p. 319, where it is stated thusly: The matter of divorce a vinculo matrimonii is entirely statutory in origin. At common law the courts did not have the power to grant such a divorce; and even the English ecclesiastical courts could not or would not grant a divorce. And the better view is that the power to award permanent alimony in connection with a divorce a vinculo matrimonii depends on the existence of statutory authorization, and that there is no such thing as a common-law power to grant permanent alimony in connection with such a divorce. * * * The matter of alimony is also treated at p. 658, 24 Am. Jur. 2d, Divorce & Separation, § 534, viz: * * * But in the case of an absolute divorce terminating the matrimonial ties, the duty of support no longer exists at common law, and in the absence of a statute continuing the obligation of maintenance beyond the dissolution of the marriage, it is difficult to find a basis for awarding permanent alimony. The better view would appear to be that the right to award permanent alimony on decreeing a dissolution of the marriage can be based solely upon express statutory provision. Indeed, the broad statement is frequently made that all authority to award alimony is referable solely to the written law, and that authority to award alimony must be conferred by statute or it does not exist. The broad power of equity seems to have greatly expanded in the nine months following our decision in Hatcher v. Hatcher, 265 Ark. 681, 580 S.W. 2d 475. There was much greater leeway in Hatcher, where temporary alimony was involved, but the majority followed a very narrow and restrictive course there. The comparison is reminiscent of straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel. In Hatcher, the majority, in striking down Ark. Stat. Ann. § 34-1210 (Repl. 1962), said: The fact that the Arkansas law in question only relates to temporary, as opposed to permanent, alimony is not significant.. . . It is not a question of temporary or permanent alimony. It is a question of a gender-based classification of the statute. Now, it makes a tremendous difference. In Hatcher, the majority said: The appellee has argued that we should simply hold that the law applied to both wives and husbands. We have never applied this statute in favor of husbands. When the will of the General Assembly is clearly expressed, we are required to adhere to it without regard to consequences. Walker v. Allred, 179 Ark. 1104, 20 S.W. 2d 116 (1929). It is not the function of this court to legislate; to do so would be a clear violation of this court’s authority. Divorce and the incidental rights, responsibilities and liabilities of a divorce are purely statutory. Ex parte Helmert, 103 Ark. 571, 147 S.W. 1143 (1912); Ramsey v. Ramsey, 259 Ark. 16, 531 S.W. 2d 28 (1975); Wheat v. Wheat, 229 Ark. 842, 318 S.W. 2d 793 (1958). We held in Young v. Young, 207 Ark. 36, 178 S.W. 2d 994 (1944): The Legislature — not the courts — determines the grounds for, the defenses against, divorce; because divorce is always regulated by statute. What has changed since Hatcher? Now the majority says that, in spite of the fact that we said in Hatcher that divorce and the incidental rights, responsibilities and liabilities of a divorce are purely statutory, in this unusual situation, the broad power of equity should be allowed to fashion a remedy to meet the demonstrated needs of divorced spouses in order to prevent harsh and inequitable results. Has it now become the function of the courts to legislate? Are divorce and the incidental rights and liabilities purely statutory - except in an unusual situation? If so, what constitutes an unusual situation? In Hatcher, this court declined the invitation to make the law governing temporary alimony apply to both husbands and wives. Today the court says that “during this brief void of statutory law, a chancellor may, within the exercise of inherent power and sound discretion, award alimony to the wife or husband as is justified by the facts and circumstances.” Why so, in the case of permanent alimony and not in. the case of temporary alimony? I am mystified by a temporary vesting of inherent power in the chancery courts. What is the source of this power? It is difficult for me to see how alimony can be converted into a matter for the exercise of equity powers for even a brief period. “To treat a divorce suit as one in equity is historically an error, however, as a suit for absolute divorce was unknown to the common law, either in the law courts or in chancery.” 1 Nelson, Divorce & Annulment (2d. Ed.) 8, § 1.03. I am also troubled by our failure to deal with the question of constitutionality of Ark. Stat. Ann. § 34-1214 (Repl. 1962). Even though the question was raised for the first time on appeal, it will inevitably arise upon remand. Perhaps it is better to follow this procedure, since appellee did not address the issue of constitutionality. I am authorized to state that Mr. Justice Mays joins in this opinion.