Want to Bend the Rules in a Divorce Proceeding? If so, Prepare to Pay a Hefty Penalty.
In the recent opinion of Irmo Davenport , (filed May 4, 2011), the Court of Appeal affirmed a trial court’s ruling that penalized a family law litigant the sum of $100,000 for her attorney’s bad behavior, plus awarded an additional $304,000 in attorney fees to Husband. The Court’s ruling in the Davenport case is a reminder to family law participants and their attorneys that you either play by the rules and act in an appropriate manner, or you pay.
In family law cases, there are reasonable litigants and unreasonable litigants. There are also attorneys, although fortunately not many, that are unreasonable and who attempt to bend the rules of the Family Code, Local Rules and general rules of ettiquite and civility. Handling tough litigants and tough attorneys are one reason that many people hire an experienced attorney to represent them in their divorce case. At our law firm, we have handled hundreds of cases where a difficult party or attorney was on the other side. Having the experience to handle difficult personalities and resolve conflict is a learned technique that we have mastered in our many years of practice. Our Certified Family Law Specialists are available to answer your questions right now if there is a difficult person or lawyer on the other side of your divorce, paternity or other family law case. Call us at (619) 284-4113 or email us today.