Court Opinion

ID: 9658206
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 20:51:09.555286+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:13:51.375201
License: Public Domain

R. M. Maher, P.J.
(concurring). I write separately because, although I agree with the majority that the trial court abused its discretion in awarding defendant $12,500 in alimony, I reach this conclusion by another route.
The majority states that "a spouse who works and supports the mate while the mate pursues an education should be compensated,” but rejects the conclusion that an advanced degree is property and therefore a marital asset. I agree with this Court’s conclusion in Woodworth v Woodworth, 126 Mich App 258, 263; 337 NW2d 332 (1983), that "whether or not an advanced degree can physically or metaphysically be defined as 'property’ is beside the point”. This is an equitable distribution jurisdiction, in which classification of an item as either property or non-property is not decisive in determining tifie best division of the parties’ holdings on divorce. "Courts must instead focus on the *413most equitable solution to dissolving the marriage and dividing among the respective parties what they have.” Woodworth, supra, 126 Mich App 263.
The facts of this case present an even more cogent example of two people working together towards a family goal than did the facts in Wood-worth itself. As stated in Woodworth, "[t]he degree holder has expended great effort to obtain the degree not only for himself or herself, but also to benefit the family as a whole. The other spouse has shared in this effort and contributed in other ways as well, not merely as a gift to the student spouse nor merely to share individually in the benefits but to help the marital unit as a whole”. 126 Mich App 261. Here, while plaintiff studied for his doctor of osteopathy degree, defendant worked as virtually the sole financial supporter of the family. Even after plaintiff began his internship and began to earn again, defendant’s life was centered on plaintiff’s medical career. During this period defendant prepared for plaintiff’s medical practice, arranging financial matters and purchasing office equipment. Finally, even after plaintiff began to practice medicine, defendant worked in plaintiff’s office as many hours as plaintiff did, although without a salary. Under these circumstances, equity requires that both plaintiff and defendant be entitled to share in the fruits of the medical degree. Woodworth, supra; Watling v Wailing, 127 Mich App 624; 339 NW2d 505 (1983); Thomas v Thomas, 131 Mich App 830; 346 NW2d 595 (1984).
It is because of this that I take exception to the majority’s award of a total of $30,000 in alimony. I agree that $30,000 is an equitable award in light of defendant’s own expert’s testimony that plaintiff would receive over his lifetime only $140,000 *414after taxes more as a D.O. then he would have received in his former profession. See the valuation discussion in Woodworth, 126 Mich App 269. However, I am concerned that awarding this sum in terms of alimony payments may unfairly jeopardize defendant’s recognized right to this money. This consideration was also addressed by the Woodworth Court:
"A trial judge is given wide discretion in awarding alimony. Westrate v Westrate, 50 Mich App 673; 213 NW2d 860 (1973), lv den 391 Mich 812 (1974). However, alimony is basically for the other spouse’s support. Kavanagh v Kavanagh, 30 Mich App 636; 186 NW2d 870 (1971), lv den 384 Mich 843 (1971). The considerations for whether or not a spouse is entitled to support are different than for dividing the marital property. McLain v McLain, 108 Mich App 166; 310 NW2d 316 (1981), listed 11 factors that the trial judge is to consider in determining whether or not to award alimony. Some of these deal with the parties’ financial condition and their ability to support themselves. If the spouse has already supported the other spouse through graduate school, he or she is quite possibly already presently capable of supporting him or herself. Furthermore, MCL 552.13; MSA 25.93 gives the trial court discretion to end alimony if the spouse receiving it remarries. We do not believe that the trial judge should be allowed to deprive the spouse who does not have an advanced degree of the fruits of the marriage and award it all to the other spouse merely because he or she has remarried. Such a situation would necessarily cause that spouse to think twice about remarrying.” 126 Mich App 267-268.
I would therefore award defendant $30,000 outright, but permit plaintiff to pay the sum in monthly installments, if necessary. In this way, defendant’s right to the money as the fruits of her labor would be recognized and protected, while plaintiff would not be placed under an intolerable financial burden.