Seemann v. Seemann

318 Neb. 643
Nebraska Supreme Court·Decided March 21, 2025·No. S-24-583·Published·Cited by 5 cases

Opinion

Nebraska Supreme Court Online Library www.nebraska.gov/apps-courts-epub/ 03/21/2025 09:10 AM CDT

- 643 -

Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets 318 Nebraska Reports

SEEMANN V. SEEMANN

Cite as 318 Neb. 643

Clint Seemann, appellee, v. Lisa Seemann, now known as Lisa Newell, appellant.

___ N.W.3d ___

Filed March 21, 2025. No. S-24-583.

1. Divorce: Child Custody: Child Support: Property Division: Alimony:

Attorney Fees: Appeal and Error. In a marital dissolution action, an appellate court reviews the case de novo on the record to determine whether there has been an abuse of discretion by the trial judge. This standard of review applies to the trial court’s determinations regarding custody, child support, division of property, alimony, and attorney fees. 2. Evidence: Appeal and Error. In a review de novo on the record, an appellate court is required to make independent factual determinations based upon the record, and the court reaches its own independent conclusions with respect to the matters at issue.

3. Judges: Words and Phrases. A judicial abuse of discretion exists if the reasons or rulings of a trial judge are clearly untenable, unfairly depriving a litigant of a substantial right and denying just results in matters submitted for disposition. 4. Antenuptial Agreements. As a contract, a premarital agreement is governed by the same principles that are applicable to other contracts but is subject to the particular statutory requirement that a premarital agreement must be based on fair disclosure.

5. Contracts. The interpretation of a contract and whether the contract is ambiguous are questions of law subject to independent review. 6. Divorce: Property Division. Under Nebraska common law, as a general rule, property accumulated and acquired by either spouse during the marriage is part of the marital estate, whereas property a party brings into the marriage is excluded from the marital estate. 7. Divorce: Property Division: Words and Phrases. The “active appreciation rule” holds that the appreciation or income of a nonmarital asset during the marriage is marital insofar as it was caused by the efforts of either spouse or both spouses.

Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets 318 Nebraska Reports

SEEMANN V. SEEMANN

Cite as 318 Neb. 643

8. Antenuptial Agreements: Property Division. Pursuant to the Uniform Premarital Agreement Act, spouses are able to contract around the general rules of equitable division by using a premarital agreement.

9. Contracts. In interpreting contracts, the court as a matter of law must first determine whether the contract is ambiguous.

10. ____. A determination as to whether an ambiguity exists in a contract is to be made on an objective basis, not by the subjective contentions of the parties.

11. ____. The fact that the parties have suggested opposite meanings of a disputed contract does not necessarily compel the conclusion that the contract is ambiguous.

12. Contracts: Words and Phrases. A contract is ambiguous when a word, phrase, or provision in the contract has, or is susceptible of, at least two reasonable but conflicting interpretations or meanings.

13. Contracts: Intent. When the terms of a contract are clear, a court may not resort to rules of construction, and the terms are accorded their plain and ordinary meaning as an ordinary or reasonable person would understand them.

14. ____: ____. A court shall seek to ascertain the intention of the parties from the plain language of the contract.

15. Contracts. If it can be avoided, no word, clause, or sentence of a contract will be rejected as superfluous or meaningless.

16. Contracts: Intent. A court will give due force to the grammatical arrangement of the clauses of a contract, unless by so doing it appears to be at variance with the intent of the parties as indicated by the contract as a whole.

Appeal from the District Court for Douglas County, Tressa M. Alioth, Judge. Reversed and remanded with directions.

John Andrew McWilliams, Frederick D. Stehlik, and Alexandria M. Bartels, of Gross Welch Marks Clare, P.C., L.L.O., for appellant.

William L. Finocchiaro and Christopher A. Vacanti, of Vacanti Shattuck Finocchiaro, for appellee.

Funke, C.J., Miller-Lerman, Cassel, Papik, and Freudenberg, JJ.

Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets 318 Nebraska Reports

SEEMANN V. SEEMANN

Cite as 318 Neb. 643

Freudenberg, J.

INTRODUCTION

The wife appeals from an amended decree of dissolution entered by the district court following our opinion and mandate in Seemann v. Seemann (Seemann I). 1 In that prior appeal, we concluded that the district court erred by omitting assets from the marital estate and overvaluing a marital asset. Accordingly, we remanded the matter with directions to redivide the marital estate. On the instant appeal, the parties dispute whether the parties’ premarital agreement required an equal division of the marital estate. We hold that it does. We reverse, and remand to the district court with directions consistent with this opinion.

BACKGROUND

Background and Procedural History Clint Seemann and Lisa Seemann married in 2005. Before their marriage, Clint and Lisa executed a premarital agreement (Agreement). As relevant to the instant appeal, the Agreement listed Clint’s and Lisa’s premarital assets, which included land and shares of stock, that were to be considered marital property. Paragraph 8 of the Agreement (paragraph 8) further provided:

The assets of both parties listed in this agreement shall be considered as part of the marital property which shall be divided equally in the event of death or divorce. Marital property shall also include property that results from the efforts of CLINT and LISA during the marriage. In 2021, Clint filed a complaint for the dissolution of his marriage to Lisa.

Original Decree

Following a trial, the district court entered a “Decree of Dissolution of Marriage” (original decree). Relevant from Seemann I, the court valued Lisa’s retirement accounts at 1 Seemann v. Seemann, 316 Neb. 671, 6 N.W.3d 502 (2024).

Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets 318 Nebraska Reports

SEEMANN V. SEEMANN

Cite as 318 Neb. 643

$1,480,720 and included them in the marital estate. The court determined that Clint’s membership interest in 75th and L Street, LLC, and its subsequent appreciation in value were Clint’s nonmarital property. The court did not address in its decree the value of Clint D. Seemann, P.C., or the value of the carpet and tile that Clint retained, which were purchased for renovations to the marital residence.

The court found the Agreement to be enforceable and quoted the first sentence of paragraph 8: “‘[T]he assets of both parties listed in this Agreement shall be considered part of the marital property which shall be divided equally in the event of death or divorce.’” The court found that the assets listed in the Agreement, which included shares of Berkshire Hathaway Class A stock, “should be divided equally as required by [the Agreement].” The court did not address whether paragraph 8 applied to the entire marital estate. However, the court divided the total marital estate equally between the parties and ordered Lisa to make an equalization payment of $22,021 to Clint.

Appeal of Original Decree Lisa appealed the original decree, arguing the district court erred in, among other things, (1) dividing the Berkshire Hathaway Class A stock, (2) overvaluing her retirement accounts, (3) requiring her to make an equalization payment to Clint, and (4) failing to include in the marital estate the appreciation in value of Clint’s membership interest in 75th and L Street, LLC; the value of the carpet and tile that Clint retained; and the value of Clint D. Seemann, P.C. Clint did not cross-appeal.

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Seemann v. Seemann, 318 Neb. 643 (Neb. 2025).

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