Court Opinion

ID: 9513784
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-06 22:40:34.832568+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:06:02.194880
License: Public Domain

*36VANDE WALLE, Chief Justice,
concurring.
[¶ 20] The award of attorney fees in a divorce action has long been held by this Court to be a matter for the discretion of the trial court. Mosher v. Mosher, 16 N.D. 269, 113 N.W. 99 (1907); N.D.C.C. § 14-05-23. It is a discretion I believe this Court, as an appellate court, ought to give free rein. Even when attorney fees are sought for an appeal to this Court, we have stated that although we have concurrent jurisdiction with the trial court to award attorney fees on appeal, the trial court is in the better position to rule on the motion for attorney fees. E.g., Heller v. Heller, 367 N.W.2d 179 (N.D.1985).
[¶ 21] However, in the case of interference with visitation, the Legislature has deemed the issue to be so serious that the discretion of the trial court to award attorney fees has been curbed and, where there is willful and persistent denial of visitation rights by the custodial parent, the Legislature requires the trial judge to award reasonable attorney fees and costs. N.D.C.C. § 14-09-24. Ordinarily, the principal standards for an award of attorney fees are the need of one party and the ability to pay of the other party, e.g., Pozamsky v. Pozamsky, 494 N.W.2d 148 (N.D.1992), but under the statute, even that standard is not applicable where one party interferes with the visitation of the other party.
[¶ 22] Here, I agree with the majority opinion that there was interference with visitation such as to require the award of attorney fees under N.D.C.C. § 14-09-24. It seems apparent the trial court does not wish to further alienate the parties by an award of attorney fees but is rather interested in building a positive relationship to the benefit of the child. But the statute does not allow for the exercise of such discretion either by the trial court or this Court on appeal. I regret we did not conclude that when this matter was before us in Sweeney v. Sweeney, 2002 ND 206, 654 N.W.2d 407. However, there the request for attorney fees was not only for interference with visitation but also for making bad faith, false accusations of harm to a child, under N.D.C.C. § 14-09-06.5. We could not clearly understand the trial court’s factual determinations and remanded for clarification. The majority now affirms the trial court’s findings that the accusations were not made in bad faith and awards no attorney fees under that section. I believe we have no choice but to order an award of attorney fees under N.D.C.C. § 14-09-24.
[¶ 23] I concur in the majority opinion.
[¶ 24] GERALD W. VANDE WALLE, C.J.