In re Marriage of Morrison
California Supreme Court
573 P.2d 41 (1978)
- Written by Tammy Boggs, JD
Facts
The Morrisons married in 1947. The husband, David (plaintiff) was in the military, and wife Patricia (defendant) also worked. Shortly after marriage, Patricia quit her job at David’s insistence. For the remainder of the marriage, she mostly raised their two kids and was a homemaker. After 28 years of marriage, David filed for divorce. Patricia was then 54 years old, had minimal job skills, and worked part-time as a newspaper collator, earning about $100 per month. She suffered from a medical condition that prevented her from working full-time. The trial court awarded Patricia a 42.5 percent interest in David’s military pension, or approximately $167 per month; ordered $400 per month in spousal support to Patricia for eight years; and reserved jurisdiction for three additional years during which the court could order further support. Patricia appealed, arguing that the court erred in failing to retain jurisdiction beyond 11 years and in limiting her spousal support to $400 per month.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Bird, C.J.)
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