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Sheri Denise Bland sued her husband, Michael Steven Bland, in the Autauga Circuit Court, for a divorce. Following a trial, the judge entered a judgment divorcing the parties, awarding custody of the couple's two children to the father, dividing the couple's marital property, and awarding child support to the husband and periodic alimony to the wife. The Court of Civil Appeals affirmed the trial court's judgment in part, reversed it in part, and remanded the case. Bland v. Bland, 796 So.2d 335 (Ala.Civ.App. 1999). The husband petitioned for certiorari review, which we granted. We affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand.

The trial court awarded the husband custody of the couple's children. The court also ordered (1) that the first $76,000 from the sale of the marital home be awarded to the husband, in compensation for inheritance money he had used to purchase the home; (2) that the husband pay the wife $250 a month in alimony; (3) that the wife receive 25% or $250, whichever is greater, from the husband's monthly military-retirement benefits when he begins receiving those benefits; (4) that the wife pay the husband $230.67 a month in child support; and (5) that the wife pay approximately $2,000 owed on a credit card issued *Page 343 in the husband's name but used primarily by the wife. The Court of Civil Appeals affirmed the custody order and that part of the judgment relating to the credit-card debt. However, the court reversed the visitation order and the orders concerning child support, alimony, and division of property.

The husband raises the following issues in his petition: (A) whether the Court of Civil Appeals erred in reversing that portion of the trial court's judgment concerning the period of the wife's visitation with the children; (B) whether the Court of Civil Appeals erred in reversing the trial court's distribution of the proceeds from the sale of the marital home; (C) whether the Court of Civil Appeals erred in reversing the trial court's award of periodic alimony; (D) whether the Court of Civil Appeals erred in reversing the award of a portion of the husband's anticipated military-retirement benefits; and (E) whether the Court of Civil Appeals erred in granting the wife an attorney fee of $1,500. We will address each issue in turn.

It is well settled that trial judges enjoy broad discretion in fashioning divorce judgments. We have held:

"In reviewing the trial court's judgment in a divorce case presented ore tenus, we will presume the judgment to be correct until it is shown to be plainly and palpably wrong or unjust. Brannon v. Brannon, 477 So.2d 445 (Ala.Civ.App. 1985); Nowell v. Nowell, 474 So.2d 1128 (Ala.Civ.App. 1985); Stricklin v. Stricklin, 456 So.2d 809 (Ala.Civ.App. 1984). The trial court is given broad discretion in a divorce case and its decision will not be overturned unless it is unsupported by the evidence or is otherwise palpably wrong. Stricklin, 456 So.2d 809, 810. Issues involving alimony and the payment of marital debts are within the sound discretion of the trial judge in a divorce action. The judge's ruling on these matters will not be disturbed unless it is a plain and palpable abuse of discretion. McCluskey v. McCluskey, 495 So.2d 66 (Ala.Civ.App. 1986); Hall v. Hall, 445 So.2d 304 (Ala.Civ.App. 1984)."

Trial judges enjoy broad discretion in divorce cases, and their decisions are to be overturned on appeal only when they are "unsupported by the evidence or [are] otherwise palpably wrong."Jackson, supra. In this case, the Court of Civil Appeals reversed the trial judge's order awarding the husband the $76,000. The Court of Civil Appeals held that the money had been used for the common benefit of the parties during their marriage. Even though the money the husband had received by inheritance may have been used for the common benefit of the parties, it was nonetheless within the trial court's discretion to determine the most equitable distribution of the parties' property. The wife presents no convincing argument as to why the trial court's distribution of proceeds from the sale of the marital home constituted an abuse of discretion. Accordingly, we conclude that the Court of Civil Appeals erred in reversing the trial court's order distributing the proceeds from the sale of the marital home, and we reverse the judgment of the Court of Civil Appeals to the extent it reversed that order.

"The wife testified that although she had obtained a degree in education, she was not certified to teach; that it would take her approximately 2 to 3 years to become certified; and that she was working toward becoming certified. The wife also testified that, at the husband's insistence, she had not worked outside the home during the majority of the parties' 13 years of marriage."

796 So.2d at 338. The Court of Civil Appeals also noted that the mother's living expenses were approximately $2,500 per month and that she was earning gross wages of only $1,200 per month. Accordingly, the Court of Civil Appeals held that the trial court abused its discretion in awarding the wife only $250 a month in alimony.

We are mindful that "matters of alimony and property division are within the sound discretion of the trial court, and [that] absent a showing of abuse of that *Page 345 discretion, the trial court's ruling on those matters will not be reversed." Franz v. Franz, 723 So.2d 61, 63 (Ala.Civ.App. 1997). However, we also note, as did the Court of Civil Appeals, that "[t]he purpose of alimony is to preserve, as far as practical, the economic status quo the parties enjoyed during the marriage." Pickett v.Pickett, 723 So.2d 71, 74 (Ala.Civ.App. 1998). Although we find this to be a close case on this point, we affirm that portion of the judgment of the Court of Civil Appeals reversing the trial court's award of periodic alimony.

AFFIRMED IN PART; REVERSED IN PART; AND REMANDED.

Hooper, C.J., and Houston, Cook, See, Lyons, Brown, and England, JJ., concur.

Johnstone, J., concurs in part and dissents in part.

I concur insofar as the main opinion reverses the Court of Civil Appeals. I also concur in affirming the award of an attorney fee to the wife by the Court of Civil Appeals. I dissent from those aspects of the main opinion which affirm the Court of Civil Appeals in its reversal of certain aspects of the judgment by the trial court. *Page 346