Court Opinion

ID: 9663312
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 23:35:05.547678+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:14:47.777996
License: Public Domain

HABHAB, Judge
(concurring in part, dissenting in part).
I respectfully dissent from that portion of the majority opinion that eliminates the alimony award to Tamara. I would find Tamara is entitled to reimbursement alimony in the form of $300 per month for thirty-six months. See In re Marriage of Francis, 442 N.W.2d 59, 66 (Iowa 1989). It should not go unnoticed that during virtually the entire marriage Kyle was a full-time student either at Iowa State University or Drake University. While most of the expenses for Kyle’s education were paid for by his parents, the Iowa Supreme Court has noted that “courts in Iowa are not confined to reimbursing supporting spouses solely for the expense of the advanced degree itself.” Id. The purpose of reimbursement alimony is to compensate the supporting, nonstudent spouse for both having endured a lower standard of living during the marriage in order that the student spouse may further his or her education and also for being deprived of a better standard of living in the future. See Mahoney v. Mahoney, 91 N.J. 488, 501, 453 A.2d 527, 534 (1982). Kyle’s vastly-increased earning potential, which was acquired in no small part through the support of Tamara, requires compensation to Tamara to a greater degree than the majority allots.