El-Badewi v. El-Badewi, 2006ca00122 (7-23-2007)

2007 Ohio 3800
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedJuly 23, 2007
DocketNo. 2006CA00122.
StatusPublished

This text of 2007 Ohio 3800 (El-Badewi v. El-Badewi, 2006ca00122 (7-23-2007)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
El-Badewi v. El-Badewi, 2006ca00122 (7-23-2007), 2007 Ohio 3800 (Ohio Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

OPINION *Page 2
{¶ 1} Appellant, Lilies El-Badewi, appeals from the April 7, 2006 Judgment Entry of the Stark County Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations, which granted a divorce to the parties. Appellee, Mounir El-Badewi, also filed a cross-appeal.

STATEMENT OF THE FACTS AND CASE
{¶ 2} The parties were married on February 28, 1989. There were four children born of the marriage: Yasmine (DOB 6/22/91), Natashia (DOB 11/18/94), Daria (DOB 7/6/96) and Dania (1/12/00).

{¶ 3} Both parties have extensive educational and professional backgrounds. Appellant, a native of Indonesia, holds a bachelor's degree from Indiana University, and worked in international banking for several years in Jakarta, Indonesia. Appellee, a native of Lebanon, holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics, a master's degree in physical chemistry, a doctor of dentistry degree, a medical degree and is a certified anesthesiologist.

{¶ 4} In 2000, the parties converted their former residence into the Cedar Family Dental Practice, located in Canton, Ohio. Appellant, while being the primary caregiver for the children, also assisted appellee in building the dentistry practice. She at times handled the books and banking for the business. She also drew a salary for her efforts. The business is the parties' sole source of income.

{¶ 5} On March 22, 2005, appellee filed a Complaint for Divorce against appellant in the Stark County Court of Common Pleas Domestic Division. *Page 3

{¶ 6} On March 21, 2006, the matter came for final hearing. Five days prior to the trial, appellant received a business evaluation report from appellee's expert witness, the "415 Group", a certified public accounting and consulting firm.

{¶ 7} At the time of the hearing, the parties had been married for over 17 years. The parties stipulated to living separate and apart for more than one year and that they are incompatible. On March 22, 2006, the second day of trial, appellant's counsel requested a continuance to get a separate business evaluation report to rebut appellee's report. The trial court denied the motion.

{¶ 8} On April 7, 2006, the trial court issued a detailed 17-page Judgment Entry granting the divorce, dividing property and giving shared parenting orders.

{¶ 9} It is from this judgment entry that appellant appeals raising the following Assignments of Error:

ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR
{¶ 10} "I. THE TRIAL COURT ABUSED ITS DISCRETION AND COMMITTED REVERSIBLE ERROR WHEN IT FAILED TO ALLOW DEFENDANT ADDITIONAL TIME TO REVIEW/RESPOND TO THE BUSINESS EVALUATION AS PROVIDED LESS THAN SEVEN (7) DAYS PRIOR TO TRIAL

{¶ 11} "II. THE TRIAL COURT ABUSED ITS DISCRETION AND COMMITTED REVERSIBLE ERROR WHEN IT ASSESSED THE VALUE OF THE PLAINTIFF'S BUSINESS.

{¶ 12} "III. THE TRIAL COURT ABUSED ITS DISCRETION AND COMMITTED REVERSIBLE ERROR WHEN IT FAILED TO CONSIDER AND ALLOCATE IN ITS *Page 4 DIVISION OF ASSETS AND DEBTS [SIC] THE LOAN FROM DEFENDANT'S PARENTS TO THE PARTIES.

{¶ 13} "IV. THE TRIAL COURT ABUSED ITS DISCRETION AND COMMITTED REVERSIBLE ERROR WHEN IT MANDATED THAT DEFENDANT REIMBURSE PLAINTIFF FOR THE EXPENSE OF A CELL PHONE AS WELL AS THE COSTS OF EXPERTS.

{¶ 14} "V. THE TRIAL COURT ABUSED ITS DISCRETION AND COMMITTED REVERSIBLE ERROR WHEN IT MANDATED THE PARTIES FOLLOW A SHARED PARENTING PLAN WHEN SHARED PARENTING WAS NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE MINOR CHILDREN.

{¶ 15} "VI. THE TRIAL COURT ABUSED ITS DISCRETION AND COMMITTED REVERSIBLE ERROR WHEN IT ALLOCATED HOLIDAY COMPANIONSHIP TIME.

{¶ 16} "VII. THE TRIAL COURT ABUSED ITS DISCRETION AND COMMITTED REVERSIBLE ERROR WHEN IT CALCULATED PLAINTIFF'S INCOME FOR PURPOSES OF CHILD AND SPOUSAL SUPPORT.

{¶ 17} "VIII. THE TRIAL COURT ABUSED ITS DISCRETION AND COMMITTED REVERSIBLE ERROR WHEN IT SET THE AMOUNT AND DURATION OF SPOUSAL SUPPORT.

{¶ 18} "XI. THE TRIAL COURT ABUSED ITS DISCRETION AND COMMITTED REVERSIBLE ERROR WHEN IT FAILED TO ALLOW TESTIMONY OF HUSBAND'S INFIDELITY AS IT RELATED TO PARENTING."

{¶ 19} Plaintiff-Appellee, also filed a cross-appeal raising the following assignment of error: *Page 5

{¶ 20} "I. THE TRIAL COURT ABUSED ITS DISCRETION IN ITS AWARD OF SPOUSAL SUPPORT, WHICH WAS UNREASONABLE IN AMOUNT AND DURATION."

I.
{¶ 21} In her first assignment of error, appellant argues that the trial court abused its discretion by failing to allow a continuance to obtain rebuttal expert testimony and/or allow additional time for appellant to review and respond to the 415 Group's expert report.

{¶ 22} The decision on whether to grant a continuance is within the sound discretion of the trial court. Lamont v. Lamont, 11th Dist. No. 2005-G-2628, 2006-Ohio-6204. An abuse of discretion is more than an error of law or judgment, it implies that the trial court's reasoning was unreasonable, arbitrary or unconscionable.Blakemore v. Blakemore (1983), 5 Ohio St.3d 217, 450 N.E.2d 1140.

{¶ 23} At the beginning of the second day of trial, appellant requested a ten-day continuance to hire an expert to refute appellee's expert business valuation. T. at 146-147.

{¶ 24} Appellant's counsel admitted he received appellee's expert business report five days prior to trial. T. at 146. A continuance was not requested prior to the start of the trial. Furthermore, there is no indication in the trial court record that appellant claimed any discovery violation on the part of the appellee in failing to produce the report earlier in the case.

{¶ 25} This Court will not disturb the decision of the trial court on these facts. Accordingly, appellant's first assignment of error is overruled. *Page 6

II., III, IV.
{¶ 26} Because appellant's second, third and fourth assignments of error are interrelated, we shall address them together. These assignments pertain to the division and valuation of marital property including debt.

{¶ 27} A trial court enjoys broad discretion in fashioning an equitable division of marital property and in awarding spousal support. See Blakemore v. Blakemore (1983), 5 Ohio St.3d 217, 218, 481-482,450 N.E.2d 1140, 1141. To find an abuse of that discretion, the record must show more than an error of judgment on the trial court's part; the trial court's decision must be unreasonable, arbitrary, or unconscionable.Booth v. Booth (1989), 44 Ohio St.3d 142, 144, 541 N.E.2d 1028.

{¶ 28} However, in determining a division of marital property, the trial court must consider and address the factors listed in R.C. §3105.171. Focke v. Focke

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Focke v. Focke
615 N.E.2d 327 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1992)
Barkley v. Barkley
694 N.E.2d 989 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1997)
Raff v. Raff, Unpublished Decision (6-29-2005)
2005 Ohio 3348 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2005)
O'Brien v. O'brien, Unpublished Decision (11-2-2004)
2004 Ohio 5881 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2004)
Lamont v. Lamont, Unpublished Decision (11-24-2006)
2006 Ohio 6204 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2006)
Layne v. Layne
615 N.E.2d 332 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1992)
James v. James
656 N.E.2d 399 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1995)
Cherry v. Cherry
421 N.E.2d 1293 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1981)
Blakemore v. Blakemore
450 N.E.2d 1140 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1983)
State v. Sage
510 N.E.2d 343 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1987)
Kaechele v. Kaechele
518 N.E.2d 1197 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1988)
Miller v. Miller
523 N.E.2d 846 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1988)
Booth v. Booth
541 N.E.2d 1028 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1989)
Bisker v. Bisker
635 N.E.2d 308 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1994)
Davis v. Flickinger
674 N.E.2d 1159 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1997)
Braatz v. Braatz
706 N.E.2d 1218 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1999)
Davis v. Flickinger
1997 Ohio 260 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1997)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2007 Ohio 3800, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/el-badewi-v-el-badewi-2006ca00122-7-23-2007-ohioctapp-2007.