Wilhelm v. Wilhelm
Wilhelm v. Wilhelm
Opinion of the Court
The sole issue for review is whether the trial court erred in awarding attorney's fees against an attorney who declined to reveal a matter of defense prior to a hearing.
The facts relevant to the appeal disclose that Esther and Frank Wilhelm divorced in
The trial court found Esther's attorney's conduct in failing to forward the letter "inexcusable as an attorney and officer of the Court," and "an abuse of both the Court's time and the interest of justice." However, the court's November order required only that Frank be sent quarterly progress reports of the counseling sessions, and neither Esther nor her attorney had ever received any progress reports from the counselor. Contrary to Frank's assertion, there were never any discovery requests or orders prior to the hearing; therefore, Ind.Trial Rule 37(B) does not apply to this case. Furthermore, if Esther's attorney had forwarded the letter to Frank prior to the hearing, he would have revealed a matter of defense without a specific order to do so. The trial court's award of attorney's fees is reversed.
Reversed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.