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Dodge v. Dodge

Supreme Judicial Court of Maine
Oct 2, 1981
435 A.2d 407 (Me. 1981)

Summary

upholding a trial court order that allowed the husband to pay the wife her $100,000 marital share over a ten year period where the husband's major asset was his illiquid business interest

Summary of this case from In the Matter of Harvey Harvey

Opinion

Argued September 22, 1981.

Decided October 2, 1981.

Appeal from the Superior Court, Lincoln County.

Marden, Dubord, Bernier Chandler, Bruce W. Chandler (orally), Waterville, for plaintiff.

Fitzgerald, Donovan Conley, J. Michael Conley, III (orally), Bath, for defendant.

Before McKUSICK, C.J., and GODFREY, NICHOLS, ROBERTS, CARTER, VIOLETTE and WATHEN, JJ.


MEMORANDUM OF DECISION.

Paul C. Dodge, the plaintiff in this divorce action, appeals from a judgment of the Superior Court, Lincoln County, awarding the defendant, Patricia L. Dodge, alimony of $1,000 per month and a $100,000 interest in a business corporation found to be marital property. The plaintiff contends that the award of alimony is excessive in relation to his income and that the ten-year period allowed for payment of the defendant's interest in the marital property is too short. We affirm the judgment.

The Superior Court's award is supported by sufficient evidence in the record and does not result in an injustice "so apparent as to be instantly visible without argument." Capron v. Capron, Me., 403 A.2d 1217, 1218 (1979). Assets other than income may be considered by the trial court in setting the amount of alimony. Smith v. Smith, Me., 419 A.2d 1035, 1039 (1980). The power to order division of marital property includes the power to order the means of payment. See Prue v. Prue, Me., 420 A.2d 257 (1980). The Superior Court's exercise of its discretion in this case was neither "palpably and grossly violative of fact and logic" nor an "exercise . . . of passion or bias." Strater v. Strater, 159 Me. 508, 519, 196 A.2d 94, 100 (1963).

The entry is:

Judgment affirmed.

All concurring.


Summaries of

Dodge v. Dodge

Supreme Judicial Court of Maine
Oct 2, 1981
435 A.2d 407 (Me. 1981)

upholding a trial court order that allowed the husband to pay the wife her $100,000 marital share over a ten year period where the husband's major asset was his illiquid business interest

Summary of this case from In the Matter of Harvey Harvey
Case details for

Dodge v. Dodge

Case Details

Full title:Paul C. DODGE v. Patricia L. DODGE

Court:Supreme Judicial Court of Maine

Date published: Oct 2, 1981

Citations

435 A.2d 407 (Me. 1981)

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