Court Opinion

ID: 9560034
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 17:41:50.026017+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:12:00.212134
License: Public Domain

Judge BECTON
dissenting.
Although I agree with the majority that fault in the abstract should not be considered in equitably distributing marital property, I discern a legislative intent, as expressed in N.C.G.S. 50-20(c)(l), (3) and (7) (Supp. 1983), to consider the parties’ relative economic positions, to consider the physical and mental health of the parties, and to consider one spouse’s contributions to develop the career potential of the other spouse in an equitable distribution. Therefore, and by way of example, if the trial court can consider one spouse’s effort in developing the career potential of the other spouse, the trial court ought to also be allowed to consider one spouse’s efforts to dimmish the career potential of the other spouse. In this case, the trial court did not rely on any of its numerous findings concerning “fault” to support the unequal distribution it made. Rather the trial court concluded that the husband’s beatings resulted in injuries which diminished the wife’s employability. Believing that the trial court fulfilled the legislative intent, and did not rely on “fault,” I dissent.