JOHN W. WEATHERFORD, APPELLANT,
v.
GLADYS J. WEATHERFORD, APPELLEE
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In this 1956 Florida divorce appeal, the Court held that a husband who remarried pending appeal did not waive his right to challenge the financial portions of a divorce decree, despite abandoning his claims regarding the validity of the divorce itself. The Court allowed the appeal to proceed on limited issues of alimony, attorneys' fees, and property rights.
The Court held that Weatherford did not waive his right to appeal the financial portions of the decree. Although remarriage and abandonment of certain assignments of error occurred, the doctrine requiring acceptance of judgment benefits applies only to judgments that must stand or fall as a whole; divorce decrees may be appealed in part, limited to questions of alimony, attorneys' fees, and property rights.
“It is a well-settled doctrine that, where a party recovering a judgment or decree accepts the benefits thereof, voluntarily and knowing the facts, he is estopped to afterwards seek a reversal of such judgment or decree on writ of error or appeal.”
Establishes the general rule regarding waiver by acceptance of judgment benefits, which the Court distinguished in divorce cases.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceGladys J. Weatherford filed for divorce on grounds of extreme cruelty. After trial, the chancellor awarded her the divorce, possession of the home, $3…
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PEARSON, Associate Justice.
Appellee has filed motion to dismiss the pending appeal on the ground that appellant has waived and abandoned his right to attack the final decree entered in this cause.
Appellee filed complaint for divorce charging appellant with extreme cruelty, prayed for dissolution of the marriage, alimony and counsel fees. Appellant answered, denied charge of extreme cruelty, and counterclaimed for divorce from appellee on ground of desertion. After much testimony, the chancellor entered a final decree awarding a divorce to appellee, giving her possession of the home, awarding her attorneys’ fees in the total amount of $3,000, and directed the appellant to pay her $225 per month alimony. Appellant filed notice of appeal May '21, 1955. His first assignment of error was-, that the evidence was insufficient to support the decree. His sixth assignment charged error-‘in denying his cross complaint for divorce on the ground of desertion. His. other assignments attacked those portions of the decree awarding appellee alimony, attorneys’ fees and property rights.'
Appellee cross assigned error as to the sufficiency of the property settlement, alimony and attorneys’ fees.
On August 26, 1956, pending this appeal, appellant remarried. Appellee filed motion to dismiss the appeal and appellánt filed with this court, a formal abandonment'of his first and sixth assignments of .error and his point on' appeal attacking, the validity of the decree, in s.o far as it dissolved the bonds of matrimony--between himself, and appellee, and seeks-to. have the appeal proceed in due .course only as to those por-, tions of the decree dealing with alimony, attorneys’ fees and property rights.
The determining question is whether the appellant by remarrying pending the appeal .has waived his right to appeal, those portions of the final decree touching upon, alimony, attorneys’ fees, and determination of property rights between the parties. We think he has not.!
In the case of McMullen v. Fort Pierce Financing & Construction Co., 108 Fla. 492, 146 So. 567, 568, this .court stated, the general rule as follows:
“It is a well-settled doctrine that, where a party recovering a judgment or decree accepts the benefits thereof, voluntarily and knowing the facts, he is estopped to afterwards seek-a reversal of such judgment or decree on writ of error or appeal. His conduct amounts to a release of errors * * * . and estops the successful party from appealing.” -
We adhere to the general rule which applies to such judgments or decrees which must necessarily stand or fall as a whole upon review by this court.
In divo'rce cases, appeals may be limited to questions of alimony, attorneys’ fees, etc. Rubinow v. Rubinow, Fla.1949, 40 So. 2d 561; Pross v. Pross, Fla.1954, 72 So. 2d 671; Hryckowian v. Hryckowian, Fla.1955, 82 So. 2d 879.
The appellee by her cross assignments of error shows dissatisfaction only with the financial and property'portions of the decree.- Appellant-by abandoning two assign--ments of error and a 'point on appeal wishes to limit the appeal-'to the same matters.' Obviously the appellee-will not be' prejudiced by so limiting' the matters ‘to be re-’ viewed. She sought the divorce,- it ''was-granted, and she does not complain-.as to that.
We have so often held thát assignments of error not argued will' be considered abandoned that no'citation of authority is needed. A forma! abandonment filed by an appellant is even more effective than an abandonment by omission, where the rights of the other party are not prejudiced. ' '
The motion to dismiss’the appeal is accordingly denied, and the question of the validity of the decree in so far as it dissolved the marriage between the parties, is hereby eliminated from consideration by this court. All other points properly raised will be considered in due course.
It is so ordered.
DREW, C. J., and HOBSON and-THORNAL, JJ., concur.
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
Citator
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Bennett v. Lysle A. Bennett, 146 So. 2d 588 (Fla. 2d DCA 1962)…led. First, however, we dispose of the defendant’s motion to dismiss the appeal on which motion ruling was deferred pending arguments on the merits. We find this motion without merit and accordingly deny it. See Weatherford v. Weatherford, Fla.1956, 91 So. 2d 179. The only question we must now consider is whether the chancellor had sufficient evidence before him to support the decree awarding custody of the children to the defendant, bearing in mind that the welfare of the children is the prime consideratio…
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Behm v. Division OF Administration, 383 So. 2d 216 (Fla. 1980)…e voluntarily accepts the benefits thereof, he is estopped to seek reversal thereof by appeal. His conduct amounts to a release of errors.” Lovett v. City of Jacksonville Beach, 187 So. 2d 96, 101 (Fla. 1st DCA 1966). See Weatherford v. Weatherford, 91 So. 2d 179 (Fla.1956); McMullen v. Fort Pierce Financing and Construction Co., 108 Fla. 492, 146 So. 567 (Fla.1933).…
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Carter v. Carter, 141 So. 2d 591 (Fla. 1st DCA 1962)…958) 101 So. 2d 49. . Brooks v. Brooks, (Fla.1958) 100 So. 2d 145; 27B C.J.S. Divorce § 284(2) b, p. 220. . 2 Am.Jur., Appeal and Error, § 219, p. 981. . Stoneburg v. Stoneburg, 120 Fla. 188, 162 So. 834. . Weatherford v. Weatherford, (Fla.1956) 91 So. 2d 179.…
Previewing 3 of 7 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited
- Pross v. Pross, 72 So. 2d 671 (Fla. 1954)
- McMullen v. Fort Pierce Fin. & Constr. Co., 108 Fla. 492 (Fla. 1933)
- State ex rel. First Tr. & Sav. Bank v. Southerland, 108 Fla. 433 (Fla. 1933)
- Rubinow v. Rubinow, 40 So.2d 561 (Fla. 1949)
- Hryckowian v. Hryckowian, 82 So. 2d 879 (Fla. 1955)