Opinion
Record No. 1463-93-1
December 28, 1993
FROM THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF VIRGINIA BEACH J. B. FRIEDMAN, JUDGE.
(George A. Christie; Christie Kantor, on brief), for appellant.
(Hilton Oliver, on brief), for appellee.
Present: Judges Benton, Coleman and Willis.
Pursuant to Code § 17-116.010 this opinion is not designated for publication.
George L. Coppedge (husband) appeals the decision of the circuit court awarding Lillian Mae Coppedge (wife) $500 a month in spousal support and $500 in attorney's fees. Husband raises two issues on appeal: (1) whether the trial court erred in awarding spousal support to wife; and (2) whether the trial court erred in awarding attorney's fees to wife. Upon reviewing the record and the briefs of the parties, we conclude that this appeal is without merit. Accordingly, we affirm the decision of the trial court. Rule 5A:27.
I.
Husband contends that the trial judge erred in accepting the commissioner in chancery's recommendation regarding spousal support and in awarding wife any spousal support. Husband admits that the commissioner and trial judge considered the statutory factors contained in Code § 20-107.1, but asserts that they erred in finding the parties' incomes essentially equal.
We view the evidence in the light most favorable to the wife as the party prevailing below and grant to her all reasonable inferences fairly deducible therefrom. McGuire v. McGuire, 10 Va. App. 248, 250, 391 S.E.2d 344, 346 (1990). The award of spousal support and the amount thereof rests within the sound discretion of the trial judge. Via v. Via, 14 Va. App. 868, 870, 419 S.E.2d 431, 433 (1992). Once the trial judge has reviewed the factors contained in Code § 20-107.1, and has reached a decision based upon the evidence before him, "his determination will not be disturbed on appeal except for a clear abuse of discretion." Collier v. Collier, 2 Va. App. 125, 129, 341 S.E.2d 827, 829 (1986).
The evidence showed that the husband's annual income was substantially higher than the wife's earnings from her full-time and part-time jobs. The wife testified that she had depleted her savings to pay living expenses since the separation. The evidence supports the trial judge's decision to award the wife $500 per month spousal support. The trial judge did not abuse his discretion in making that award.
II.
Although the husband alleges that the trial court erred in awarding wife $500 in attorney's fees, his brief contains no argument addressing why the award of fees was erroneous.
Statements unsupported by argument, authority, or citations to the record do not merit appellate consideration. We will not search the record for errors in order to interpret the appellant's contention and correct deficiencies in a brief.
Buchanan v. Buchanan, 14 Va. App. 53, 56, 415 S.E.2d 237, 239 (1992). Therefore, we do not address this question.
Accordingly, the decision of the trial court is affirmed.
Affirmed.