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.")