BARBARA JANANN FINE
v.
CLIFFORD TRAVIS FINE

Fla. 4th DCA | 2020-11-25
No. 20-0395
Judge Rudolph Contreras
Florida District Court of Appeal, Fourth District (2020) Positive Treatment
Cited by 6 cases

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Holding

A trial court's failure to include stipulated life insurance and expense provisions in a final judgment is not preserved for appeal absent a motion for rehearing, but the court must include health insurance provisions and allocate medical expenses as required by statute.


Headnotes

[1] An appellate court will not consider an error that appears for the first time on the face of a final order unless the party first alerts the trial court to the error via…

[2] A prior appellate decision involving a trial court's failure to make statutorily required findings does not apply to situations where a party seeks to preserve for appeal…

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Key Quotes

“[W]here an error by the court appears for the first time on the face of a final order, a party must alert the court of the error via a motion for rehearing or some other appropriate motion in order to preserve it for appeal.”

Court's explanation of preservation requirement for omissions from final orders.

Facts & Procedural History

In a divorce proceeding, the parties stipulated on the record regarding life insurance and expense arrangements for their minor children, but the tria…

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Opinion of the Court

DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA

FOURTH DISTRICT

BARBARA JANANN FINE,

Appellant,

v.

CLIFFORD TRAVIS FINE,

Appellee.

No. 4D20-395

[November 25, 2020]

Appeal from the Circuit Court for the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit, Palm Beach County; Charles E. Burton, Judge; L.T. Case No. 502018DR010151.

Michael S. Bendell of Michael Bendell, P.A., Boca Raton, for appellant. Stacey D. Mullins of GrayRobinson P.A., Boca Raton, for appellee. GROSS, J. This is an appeal from an amended final judgment dissolving the parties’ marriage. Prior to entry of the final judgment, the parties announced certain stipulations on the record regarding life insurance and other expenses pertaining to their minor children. The trial court failed to include these stipulations in both the final judgment and amended final judgment. On appeal, the former wife argues that the trial court reversibly erred by omitting the stipulations from the final judgment. We find that this issue is not preserved because the former wife did not move for rehearing or otherwise bring the error to the trial court’s attention. See Smith v. Smith, 273 So. 3d 1168, 1171 (Fla. 1st DCA 2019) (“[W]here an error by the court appears for the first time on the face of a final order, a party must alert the court of the error via a motion for rehearing or some other appropriate motion in order to preserve it for appeal.”). The former wife asserts that she was not required to file a motion for rehearing in order to preserve this issue for appeal, relying on this court’s decision in Fox v. Fox, 262 So. 3d 789 (Fla. 4th DCA 2018). However, Fox does not apply because that case involved a trial court’s failure to make statutorily required

2

findings under Chapter 61. We therefore affirm on this issue without prejudice for the former wife to seek relief under Florida Family Law Rule of Procedure 12.540(b)(1). We do, however, hold that the trial court erred by failing to include a specific provision regarding the children’s health insurance, as required by section 61.13(1)(b), Florida Statutes (2019). Section 61.13(1)(b) provides, in relevant part:

Each order for support shall contain a provision for health insurance for the minor child when health insurance is reasonable in cost and accessible to the child. . . . [T]he court shall apportion the cost of health insurance, and any noncovered medical, dental, and prescription medication expenses of the child, to both parties by adding the cost to the basic obligation determined pursuant to s. 61.30(6). Here, the final judgment fails to address health insurance for the minor children as well as their noncovered medical, dental, and prescription medication expenses. Although the parties stipulated that such out-of- pocket expenses would be split 65 percent to the former husband and 35 percent to the former wife, this stipulation was not included in the final judgment or amended final judgment. Accordingly, we remand with directions for the trial court to include language in the amended final judgment addressing health insurance for the minor children, as well as their non-covered medical, dental, and prescription medication expenses, and to allocate responsibility for such expenses between the parties. Affirmed in part; Remanded in part with directions. CIKLIN and CONNER, JJ., concur.

* * * Not final until disposition of timely filed motion for rehearing.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Vance G. Russell v. Russell, 295 So. 3d 314 (Fla. 1st DCA 2020)
    …ce of a final order, a party must alert the court of the error via a motion for rehearing or some other appropriate motion in order to preserve it for appeal.” See also Eaton v. Eaton, 2020 WL 1329673 (Fla. 1st DCA Mar. 20, 2020); Smith v. Smith, 273 So. 3d 1168, 1171 (Fla. 1st DCA 2019). Since this issue was not preserved, we must affirm. Finally, Appellant’s challenge to the ruling that the former wife is entitled to attorney’s fees under section 61.16, Florida Statutes (2015), but reserving jurisdiction…
  • T. T. L. v. F. A. L., 367 So. 3d 1257 (Fla. 2d DCA 2023)
    …(Fla. 1991); see also Fla. Fam. L. R. P. 12.190(b) ("When issues not raised by the pleadings are tried by express or implied consent of the parties, they will be treated in all respects as if they had been raised in the pleadings."); Smith v. Smith, 273 So. 3d 1168, 1170-1171 (Fla. 1st DCA 2019) (noting that an issue may be tried by implied consent unless the opposing party objects). Accordingly, we reverse and remand for the trial court to reconsider the amount of the father's child support obligation and to…
  • …“where an error by the [trial] court appears for the first time on the face of a final order, a party must alert the court of the error via a motion for rehearing or some other appropriate motion in order to preserve it for appeal.” Smith v. Smith, 273 So. 3d 1168, 1171 (Fla. 1st DCA 2019) (original brackets omitted; remaining brackets supplied) (quoting Williams v. Williams, 152 So. 3d 702, 704 (Fla. 1st DCA 2014)). This rule exists for good reason. It ensures “that the trial court has an opportunity to corr…

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