In Re The Marriage Of: Robert Wood, Appellant/cross Resp v. Angela Wood, Respondent/cross App

Court of Appeals of Washington·Decided March 4, 2019·No. 79095-1·Unpublished

Opinion

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

In the Matter of the Marriage of: )

) DIVISION ONE

ROBERT DAVID WOOD, )

) No. 79095-1-I

Appellant/Cross-Respondent, )

)

and ) UNPUBLISHED OPINION

ANGELINA EVERENE WOOD, )

Respondent/Cross-Appellant.

_____________________________________ ) FILED: March 4, 2019

DWYER, J. — Robert Wood appeals from the decree dissolving his 16-year marriage to Angelina Wood. He challenges the trial court’s award of maintenance, order of child support, and award of attorney fees. Angelina, in a cross-appeal, contends that the trial court erred in refusing to impute a higher income to Robert.1 We affirm.

Robert and Angelina were married in March 1998 and separated in July 2014. They have three children who were 19, 14, and 12 years of age at the time of trial.

Robert, who was 47 at the time of trial, earned a bachelor’s degree from Oregon State University in 1991. He then served for 20 years as an officer in the 1 For ease of reference, we refer to the parties by their first names.

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United States Navy. Robert retired from the Navy in 2011 with a monthly pension of $3,386.23 and a monthly disability award of $1,845.13.

Following his retirement from the military, Robert took a job as a systems engineer project manager in California, earning $131,000 annually. In July 2013, he quit this job in order to return to Washington “and be closer to the kids.” He returned to Washington in January or February 2014. At some point after the parties separated in July 2014, Robert took a job as a coach operator for Intercity Transit. At the time of trial, he was earning $20.39 per hour.

Angelina, who was 43 at the time of trial, had cared for the parties’

children and had not worked outside of the home for most of the marriage. After earning a high school diploma, and prior to the marriage, she worked full time at a restaurant, earning minimum wage. Once married, she worked sporadically, including seven or eight months in 2001 and another six months prior to the birth of their second child in 2003. Angelina started working as a paraeducator for the North Thurston School District in September 2016. At the time of trial, she was earning $1,704.55 per month.

On October 10, 2014, Robert filed a petition for dissolution in Thurston County Superior Court. He asked the trial court to divide the parties’ property, requested that spousal maintenance not be ordered, and sought a parenting plan and child support order for their children—who were then ages 16, 11, and 9.

On September 15, 2015, a court commissioner entered temporary orders requiring Robert to pay Angelina $2,750 per month for maintenance, $1,573.15 per month for undifferentiated child support, and $5,000 for attorney fees.

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The two-day dissolution trial commenced in April 2017. Both parties were represented by counsel and testified at trial. Following trial, and after three subsequent presentation hearings, the trial court entered findings of fact and conclusions of law, a decree of dissolution, an order of child support, and a parenting plan. Both Robert and Angelina now appeal.

Robert first challenges the maintenance award. The trial court ordered maintenance of $2,750 per month for four years. Robert points out that the amount of maintenance, combined with other amounts he is required to pay, leaves him with roughly $1,678.64 per month to meet his basic expenses and other financial obligations. He argues that this clearly shows that the trial court failed to consider the required statutory factors in determining maintenance.

It is within the trial court’s discretion to award maintenance based on the factors enumerated in RCW 26.09.090. The nonexclusive list of factors includes: (a) the financial resources of the party seeking maintenance; (b) the time necessary for the maintenance seeker to become employed; (c) the marital standard of living; (d) the marriage’s duration; (e) the maintenance seeker’s age, physical and mental conditions, and financial obligations; and (f) the ability of the maintenance payer to meet his or her needs in addition to those of the maintenance seeker. RCW 26.09.090(1). The primary consideration in awarding maintenance is the parties’ economic positions following the dissolution. In re Marriage of Spreen, 107 Wn. App. 341, 349,28 P.3d 769 (2001).

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There is no entitlement to maintenance under RCW 26.09.090. In re Marriage of Irwin, 64 Wn. App. 38, 55, 822 P.2d 797 (1992). When a trial court awards maintenance, it has considerable discretion as to the amount and duration of the award. In re Marriage of Luckey, 73 Wn. App. 201, 209, 868 P.2d 189 (1994). There is no uniform standard for determining the proper duration of a maintenance award. Rather, maintenance awards are ‘flexible tool[s] by which the parties’ standard of living may be equalized for an appropriate period of time.” In re Marriage of Washburn, 101 Wn.2d 168, 179, 677 P.2d 152 (1984). While a trial court must consider all the factors set forth in RCW 26.09.090 when setting the amount and duration of a maintenance order, it may assign whatever weight it deems appropriate to each factor. In re Marriage of Bulicek, 59 Wn. App. 630, 633, 800 P.2d 394 (1990) (“The only limitation on amount and duration of maintenance” is that “the award must be just.”). The spouse who challenges the decision bears the heavy burden of showing an abuse of discretion by the trial court. In re Marriage of Zahm, 138 Wn.2d 213, 226-27, 978 P.2d 498 (1999).

A

Robert argues that the trial court improperly required him to pay $1,200 more in maintenance than he was required to pursuant to the pretrial temporary orders. He is incorrect.

First, the additional $1,200 Robert was ordered to pay was, in fact, the marital portion of his monthly military retirement that he proposed Angelina

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receive.2 It was a property award, not an additional maintenance award. Second, Robert relies too heavily on the temporary maintenance order and treats it as a foundation upon which the trial court must rest its final order. But, he cannot rely on the temporary maintenance order in such manner without violating the statutory mandate that temporary maintenance orders: ‘(a) Do[] not prejudice the rights of a party. . . to be adjudicated at subsequent hearings in the proceeding; (b) May be revoked or modified; [and] (c) Terminates when the final decree is entered.” RCW 26.09.060(1 0).

B

Robert contends that, because the maintenance awarded amounts to 44 percent of his current monthly net income, the trial court failed to properly consider the RCW 26.09.090 factors. We disagree.

The record shows that the trial court, indeed, considered all of the statutory factors in making its maintenance award. First, the trial court considered Angelina’s financial resources. It noted that, during the marriage, Angelina was a stay-at-home spouse with very limited employment history. Angelina testified to having $17,000.00 in outstanding credit card debt, making loan payments for two vehicles, operating at a monthly household deficit, and her inability to meet the financial needs of her family without maintenance.

2 Robert also asks that the marital portion of his military retirement awarded to Angelina, as well as the survivor benefit designation associated with this retirement, be reversed. Reversal is required, he argues, because Angelina failed to request them and the trial court never divided this asset. This argument has no merit. At trial, Robert proposed that Angelina “would get her marital share” of the military retirement, which he approximated to be “a little over $1,230.”

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