In re Marriage of Patel

Illinois Appellate Court
Civil Court
Dissolution of Marriage
Citation
Case Number: 
2013 IL App (1st) 122882
Decision Date: 
Friday, October 11, 2013
District: 
1st Dist.
Division/County: 
Cook Co., 5th Div.
Holding: 
Affirmed.
Justice: 
PALMER
In dissolution proceeding, court properly ordered husband to pay wife’s interim attorney’s fees, and found him in indirect civil contempt, with sanctions for failure to pay. Court considered financial statements of parties in its ruling, and appellate court presumes sufficient basis for ruling, as statements were not admitted into evidence and thus were not part of record on appeal. Court had jurisdiction to award interim fees to wife in amount equal to, with money wife had already paid to her attorneys, the amount paid to husband’s attorneys. Husband failed to provide justification for his failure to pay, and party cannot refuse to pay under guise of “friendly contempt” just because party disagrees with order to pay. (McBRIDE and HOWSE, concurring.)