Grosskopf v. Grosskopf

In 1968, Jeannine Marie Grosskopf (defendant) married Loren M. Grosskopf (plaintiff). Jeannine eventually obtained a special-education degree and became a teacher. Loren obtained an accounting degree. By October 1980, the Grosskopfs’ marriage had deteriorated, and Loren filed for divorce. Jeannine traveled with the Grosskopfs’ three children from Wyoming to Wisconsin to be with relatives. Jeannine then chose to stay in Wisconsin with the children after an unsuccessful attempt at reconciliation. At the hearing for the divorce proceeding, evidence was introduced that Jeannine was unhappy living in Wyoming for Loren’s job and unhappy with their family home, that she was celibate during the last few years of the marriage, and that she often threatened to leave Loren. After the hearing, the trial court awarded Loren the divorce decree on the ground that Jeannine was more at fault for the marriage’s deterioration. The trial court also refused to award Jeannine with spousal support or attorney’s fees based on fault. In determining the division of property, the court awarded Jeannine and Loren each one-half of the shared cash and stocks but ordered that Loren was solely responsible for the couple’s debt. As a result, Jeannine received $36,190 and Loren was left with approximately $8,600 in debt. Jeannine appealed on the ground that the trial court had improperly relied on fault in making its determinations.