Lyons v. Lyons
Lyons v. Lyons
Opinion of the Court
In this divorce action, interlocutory decree granted divorce to each of the parties, divided the community property, awarded alimony to plaintiff wife for one year, and authorized the wife to offset the total alimony against amounts she was directed to pay to husband to equalize the division of property. Defendant husband appealed from the decree, specifically excepting from his appeal, however, those portions which granted divorce to each party. After expiration of the wife’s time to appeal, the court, on her motion, ordered husband to pay her costs and attorneys’ fees for resisting his appeal. Defendant husband appealed from that order. On motion, we stayed proceedings on appeal from the decree until determination of the appeal from the order. Only the question of fees and costs is now before us.
But the decree on its face awards alimony for one year. The motion for costs and fees was made within three months after denial of motion for new trial, and granted two months later. The fact that the wife was authorized to offset the total of alimony payments against her obligation to pay a fixed sum to husband neither negates nor limits the award. Nor does it destroy the character of that award as alimony. There is no showing that she has exhausted the grant of alimony by using it as an offset to date. Thus the award of alimony continued in effect at the time the present order was made, and that award is a subject of the appeal from the decree. It follows that a major basis of appellant’s argument fails.
Order affirmed.
Kaufman, P. J., and Good, J. pro. tem.,
A petition for a rehearing was denied May 13, 1960, and appellant’s petition for a hearing by the Supreme Court was denied June 8, 1960.
Assigned "by Chairman of Judicial Council.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.