Lake v. Lake

17 Nev. 230
Nevada Supreme Court·Decided October 15, 1882·No. No. 1128·Published·Cited by 44 cases

Opinions

By the Court,

Leonard, C. J.:

Appellant brought this suit for divorce, for division of alleged common property, and other relief. The court granted the divorce prayed for by appellant, together with alimony for her support and maintenance, in the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars per month, but held and decreed the property in question to be the separate property of respondent.

Being dissatisfied with that part of the decree disposing of the property, appellant moved the court for “a new trial of the issues made by the complaint and answer in said action respecting the property and property rights of the respective parties to said action.”

That motion was overruled by the court, and she appealed from the order overruling the same, and “ from that part of the judgment made and entered in said action * * * affecting the questions of alimony and the property rights of the parties to said action.”

To enable her to prosecute the appeal, appellant applied to this court for an order directing respondent to pay to her counsel or to the clerk of the court such sums as might be found necessary to discharge the costs and expenses of appeal, and such further sums as counsel fees as might be deemed reasonable, not exceeding the sum of five thousand dollars.

This motion is based upon appellant’s affidavit, wherein, among other things, it is averred that “ she is absolutely without means or credit whereby to compensate counsel in this-court, or to discharge the costs and expenses of the clerk and printer, as provided by law and the rules of the court, and is unable to secure the services of counsel.” She further avers that she desires to retain the services of the attorneys who [234]*234conducted her case in the district court, and who; are familiar with its history, and that respondent is able to pay all costs, and charges.

Subsequent to the filing of appellant’s affidavit and notice of motion, counsel for respondent consented, without opposition, to pay to the clerk of this, court an amount sufficient to-defray the necessary costs of court and expenses, of printing-, which was done accordingly.

But objection is made to the granting of an order for attorneys’ fees, upon the ground that the court has. no jurisdiction to make it:

First — Because there is no valid appeal.

Second — Because the granting- of the order would be the exercise of original jurisdiction in a case where, under the constitution, the court has only appellate jurisdiction.

These objections will be considered in the- order stated.

1. The objections urged to the validity of the appeal are that the motion for a new trial applied to a part of the decision only, and that the appeal is from an order overruling a motion for new trial as to that part, and not the whole, and from a part only of an entire judgment.

In considering the questions here presented certain additional facts should be stated.

The record shows that, of the issues made by the pleadings, those relating to the custody of the child and the disposition of the property, were by consent of both parties, withdrawn from the consideration of the jury at the trial, and reserved for the future consideration and determination of the court, should it be decided that the plaintiff was entitled toa divorce; that a divorce was granted, and that subsequently the court, sitting without a jury, tried the issues relating to the custody of the child and the disposition of the property.

The result is that the decree was in favor of appellant as to the divorce and custody of the child, but against her as to the disposition of the property.

It is urged by counsel for respondent that a new trial is a re-examination of the whole case; that it could not have been granted in this case upon the question of property rights alone; that a motion to retry the issues made upon that ques[235]*235tioii only was a nullity, and, consequently, that there was, and could have been, no error in overruling the motion made.

It is also claimed that an appeal from a judgment or decree must be taken from the whole thereof, and cannot be taken from any specific part.

We deem it unnecessary to decide whether or not, in moving for a new trial, the motion must in all cases request a new trial upon ail the issues made.

If appellant had the right to appeal from that part of the judgment alone which disposed of tbe property, then we have a valid appeal'; and in that case it matters not whether the appeal is taken from such part of the judgment only, or from that part and the order overruling a motion for new trial.

If there is a valid appeal, whether from a part of the judgment or from that and the order denying a new trial upon a portion of the issues made, then the only question which we are now called upon to decide is fully presented; that is to say, whether or not this court has jurisdiction to make an or-der requiring respondent to pay reasonable counsel fees for prosecuting the appeal.

That appellant had the right to appeal from a specific part of the whole judgment, the portion against her, without disturbing the other portions in her favor, we have no doubt.

“A judgment is the final determination of the rights of the parties in the action or proceeding.” (Comp. L. 1208.)

Several distinct causes of action may be united in the same complaint. (Comp. L. 1127.)

“Judgment may be given for or against one or more of several plaintiffs, and for or against one or more of several defendants; and it may, when the justice of the case requires it, determine the ultimate rights of the parties on each as between themselves.” (Comp. L. 1209.)

In Lake v. Lake, 16 Nev. 216, the question was, whether, after decree dissolving the bonds of matrimony, but before trial of the issues touching a disposition of the alleged common property and the custody of the child, there was such a final judgment as permitted an appeal from certain orders for the payment of alimony and counsel fees, made after granting the divorce, but before trial of the issues concerning property rights and the custody of the child.

[236]*236For that purpose we held that the decree of divorce was not a final judgment. We said: “By stipulation, the issues in the divorce suit were only tried and settled in part, and the remainder were reserved for future action.”

“The orders complained of are not included among those from which an appeal may be taken before final judgment. If an appeal lies from these orders, it is because they are special orders, made after final judgment.”

It is the policy of the law governing appeals, unless otherwise expressly stated, that all orders made in the course of trial shall be reviewed on appeal from the judgment. Otherwise there would be no end to appeals. Provision is made for appeal from orders made after final judgment, because there is no other way of appealing therefrom.

The special orders that may be appealed from after final judgment, are those made subsequent to the rendition of the judgment, of which a copy must be made a part of the judgment roll. (Comp. L. 1266-7-8.)

The judgment roll is not made up until final disposition of all the issue's.

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Lake v. Lake, 17 Nev. 230 (Neb. 1882).

17 Nev. 230 (Lake v. Lake) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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