Sparks v. Sparks
Michigan Supreme Court
485 N.W.2d 893 (1992)
- Written by Haley Gintis, JD
Facts
Mrs. Sparks (plaintiff) and Mr. Sparks (defendant) were married for 26 years. At the time of the marriage, Mrs. Sparks was 16 years old and dropped out of school. Mr. Sparks continued his education and earned a college degree. At the time of the divorce proceeding, Mr. Sparks was employed and Mrs. Sparks was unemployed although she had been employed for much of the marriage. Following a trial, the court found that Mrs. Sparks’s sexual infidelity caused the marriage’s deterioration and awarded Mr. Sparks 75 percent of the marital property with no alimony obligations. Although the court briefly considered other factors, the issue of fault was given significantly more weight. The court of appeals reversed the alimony award but affirmed the property division. The Michigan Supreme Court reviewed the case.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Cavanagh, C.J.)
Dissent (Levin, J.)
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