In re Marriage of Kiferbaum

2014 IL App (1st) 130736, 19 N.E.3d 1204
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedSeptember 30, 2014
Docket1-13-0736
StatusUnpublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 2014 IL App (1st) 130736 (In re Marriage of Kiferbaum) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Marriage of Kiferbaum, 2014 IL App (1st) 130736, 19 N.E.3d 1204 (Ill. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinion

2014 IL App (1st) 130736

SECOND DIVISION September 30, 2014

No. 1-13-0736

In re MARRIAGE OF ) Appeal from the Circuit Court ) of Cook County. JUDITH KIFERBAUM, ) ) Petitioner-Appellant, ) ) No. 09 D 577 and ) ) HANAN KIFERBAUM, ) ) Honorable Naomi Schuster, Respondent-Appellee. ) Judge Presiding.

PRESIDING JUSTICE SIMON delivered the judgment of the court, with opinion. Justices Neville and Pierce concurred in the judgment and opinion.

OPINION

¶1 On January 23, 2009, petitioner Judith Kiferbaum (Judith) filed the underlying petition

for dissolution of marriage from her husband, respondent Hanan Kiferbaum (Hanan). Judith also

sought, and was granted, a temporary order of protection on January 23, 2009, and a plenary

order of protection on February 4, 2009. With respect to the parties' abusive behavior toward

each other, the parties' agreed disposition order of June 8, 2009, also restricted contact between

the parties. On March 17, 2010, judgment for dissolution of marriage was entered with the issue

of maintenance remaining open.

¶2 On June 21, 2012, Judith sought an emergency order of protection against Hanan that was

granted and set for further hearing on July 12, 2012. However, that petition was dismissed on

July 12, 2012. Also on that date, after the petition was dismissed, Hanan filed an emergency No. 1-13-0736

petition for an order of protection against Judith. The trial court found that the petition was not

an emergency and set the matter for further hearing. On July 20, 2012, Judith filed a petition for

an emergency order of protection that was denied for lack of personal knowledge of Hanan's

alleged conduct. On July 31, 2012, Judith filed the underlying petition for an order of protection.

¶3 An agreed order restraining and enjoining Judith and Hanan from certain locations was

entered, the petitions were continued to allow discovery, and the court set a November 30, 2012,

hearing date on the "cross petitions for order of protection." The matter was continued to January

30, 2013, when the trial court granted Hanan's petition for an order of protection and set

argument for Hanan's motion to dismiss Judith's amended petition for an order of protection on

February 5, 2013. On February 5, 2013, the trial court granted Hanan's motion to dismiss,

finding that the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986 (750 ILCS 60/101 et seq. (West 2010))

does not permit mutual orders of protection.

¶4 Judith argues on appeal that the trial court erred in construing section 215 of the Illinois

Domestic Violence Act (750 ILCS 60/215 (West 2010)) in dismissing Judith's petition. Judith

also contends that the trial court abused its discretion in granting Hanan's petition. For the

following reasons, we affirm the judgment of the trial court as to the grant of Hanan's petition for

a protective order and reverse the dismissal of Judith's petition for a protective order.

¶5 I. BACKGROUND

¶6 Judith and Hanan were married on January 17, 1988, and the marriage was registered in

Haifa, Israel. The parties resided in Skokie, Illinois, and had one child under the marriage, born

on June 25, 1988. On January 23, 2009, citing irreconcilable differences, Judith filed the

2 No. 1-13-0736

underlying petition for dissolution of marriage from Hanan. Judith also filed a petition for an

order of protection, a third-party complaint against respondent's business and banking entities, an

emergency ex parte petition for a temporary restraining order, preliminary injunction, and other

relief, and a petition for interim prospective attorney fees and costs against Hanan.

¶7 Judith presented an affidavit in support of her petition for an order of protection,

testifying to Hanan's behavior toward Judith at various dates in the prior year that exhibited

escalating and repeated abuse and harassment such that Judith feared for her personal safety.

Judith averred that Hanan repeatedly yelled at her, telling her that she must follow his rules, and

that if she did not comply with his rules and demands he would "screw [her] completely,"

humiliate her to her friends and employers, and leave her penniless. Judith also detailed

occurrences where Hanan demanded that Judith perform oral sex or she would be responsible for

"a bad situation." Judith testified that for fear of what Hanan might do, she complied with his

demand each time while crying throughout the ordeal. Judith also detailed times where Hanan

insulted her by yelling at her that she was a "whore" and screaming that she was "only good to

suck dick! I give you $4,000 a month for that! I'd be better off to f*** any [other] woman or

anybody! I'll pay any money because it is better than you!"

¶8 The court entered an emergency order of protection against Hanan and set the matter for

a hearing on February 13, 2009. On January 27, 2009, Hanan filed an emergency motion to

vacate the order of protection and an evidentiary hearing was held on February 4, 2009.

Following testimony by both parties, the trial court noted the stark differences in the testimony of

the two required a credibility determination and, having observed the witnesses and heard their

3 No. 1-13-0736

testimony, found Judith credible. The court concluded that Hanan's behavior rose to a level of

harassment requiring an order of protection.

¶9 The order of protection was subsequently dismissed ab initio by a June 8, 2009, agreed

disposition order awarding Judith exclusive possession of the marital residence and an

automobile, and also forbidding any harassment or contact between the parties. Despite the

order, the parties continued to have acrimonious relations, including numerous instances of

damage to Judith's vehicle requiring various repairs and leading to Judith calling the police.

Hanan admitted to one instance of damage to Judith's vehicle while it was parked at Nordstrom's

at Old Orchard Mall parking lot, whereby Hanan placed bodily fluids including vomit, urine and

feces on the driver's seat. The court entered an order requiring Hanan to have the vehicle

cleaned.

¶ 10 On March 17, 2010, judgment for dissolution of marriage was entered with the issue of

maintenance for Judith remaining open. The parties continued to maintain an acrimonious

relationship, including various cross-allegations of property damage and harassing conduct. On

June 21, 2012, Judith filed another emergency petition for an order of protection against Hanan.

Judith claimed that Hanan vandalized her vehicle numerous times, vandalized Judith's storage

area at her garage, harassed and threatened her via e-mail, and gave an anonymous complaint to

her employer that led to her termination. Judith claimed that she suffered from severe anxiety

and lived in fear of Hanan.

¶ 11 At the emergency hearing on the petition, Judith testified to these allegations and the

court entered an order prohibiting Hanan from all personal contact with Judith, including by

4 No. 1-13-0736

telephone, e-mail and third parties. In addition, Hanan was prohibited from entering or remaining

at the Nordstrom store where Judith was employed. The temporary order was effective until July

12, 2012, when a further hearing was set.

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

Related

In re Marriage of Oberweis
Appellate Court of Illinois, 2026
Cooper v. Jones
2026 IL App (1st) 250734-U (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2026)
In re Marriage of Kiferbaum
2014 IL App (1st) 130736 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2014)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2014 IL App (1st) 130736, 19 N.E.3d 1204, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-marriage-of-kiferbaum-illappct-2014.