The mission of the Connecticut Judicial Branch is to serve the interests of justice and the public by resolving matters brought before it in a fair, timely, efficient and open manner.

Family Law Appellate Court Opinions

by Townsend, Karen

 

AC44705 - Simpson v. Simpson (“In this postjudgment dissolution matter, the defendant, Robert R. Simpson, appeals and the plaintiff, Janel Simpson, cross appeals from the judgment of the trial court resolving several postjudgment motions of the parties. Specifically, the defendant claims on appeal that the court improperly (1) modified its original decision on the postjudgment motions by way of a postappeal articulation, (2) construed provisions of the parties’ separation agreement regarding child support and alimony, (3) awarded attorney’s fees to the plaintiff, and (4) rendered an educational support order that failed to comply with General Statutes § 46b-56c. In her cross appeal, the plaintiff claims that the court improperly denied her motion seeking a modification of alimony and child support. Because we agree with the defendant’s second claim that the court misinterpreted the parties’ separation agreement regarding additional child support and alimony payments and rendered an improper educational support order, we conclude that it is unnecessary to resolve his first claim regarding the court’s articulation. Furthermore, we conclude that, because the court’s various financial orders and postjudgment rulings are inextricably linked, these errors necessarily also require the reversal of the court’s award of attorney’s fees to the plaintiff and its denial of the plaintiff’s motion for modification of alimony and child support. Accordingly, we reverse the court’s remedial orders attendant to its denial of the plaintiff’s motion for contempt as well as its rulings on the plaintiff’s motion for order re college expenses and her motion for modification of alimony and child support. The judgment is affirmed in all other respects, and the case is remanded for further proceedings in accordance with this opinion.”)

AC45657 - Graham v. Graham (“In this postjudgment marital dissolution matter, the defendant, William Graham, appeals, and the plaintiff, Cheryl L. Graham, cross appeals, from the judgment of the trial court rendered with respect to two postjudgment motions for contempt filed by the plaintiff. The defendant claims that the court improperly found him in contempt for wilfully violating postjudgment orders pertaining to his obligations to pay alimony to the plaintiff and the medical expenses of the parties’ children. The defendant also challenges the court’s award of attorney’s fees to the plaintiff. The plaintiff claims that the court erred in dismissing an offer of compromise that she filed to resolve her claim that the defendant violated the court’s postjudgment order relating to his alimony obligation. We conclude that the court properly declined to award interest pursuant to the plaintiff’s offer of compromise, but the form of the judgment with respect thereto is improper and we remand the case with direction to strike the plaintiff’s offer of compromise. We affirm the judgment of the trial court in all other respects.”)