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 Opinion

by Greenlee, Rebecca

 

AC45857 - Y. H. v. J. B. ("The self-represented defendant, J. B, appeals from the judgment of the trial court dissolving his marriage to the plaintiff, Y. H., and entering certain financial orders. On appeal, the defendant claims that the court abused its discretion (1) in declining to award him alimony and child support, (2) in its orders regarding the division of marital property, specifically, the marital home and the parties’ business, and (3) in granting the plaintiff’s motions for contempt and ordering him to pay $40,000 in attorney’s fees to the plaintiff. Because we conclude that the trial court abused its discretion in declining to award child support on the ground that it was not requested, and without considering and applying the child support guidelines, we reverse the judgment of the trial court with respect to all the financial orders and remand this case for a new trial on all financial issues. We further conclude that the court’s award of attorney’s fees, to the extent it was imposed as a sanction for the defendant’s contempt, constituted an abuse of its discretion, which entitles the defendant to a new hearing as to the appropriate sanction for his wilful violation of the court’s orders. Finally, to the extent that the award of attorney’s fees was made pursuant to General Statutes § 46b-62 (a), this case must also be remanded for reconsideration in light of the new financial orders that will be issued on remand.")