JOHN A. BELCHER, ETC., APPELLANT,
v.
ANNABELLE G. BELCHER, APPELLEE
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An antenuptial agreement waiving alimony is valid and enforceable, even for temporary alimony, if unambiguous and the wife received consideration.
[1] An antenuptial agreement provision wherein a wife waives claims to alimony and suit money is valid and binding, provided the agreement is otherwise valid and the wife rec…
[2] A trial court errs in awarding temporary alimony and suit money to a wife who has, by an unambiguous antenuptial agreement, waived all claims to such relief.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceA wife, after entering into an antenuptial agreement waiving alimony, sued for alimony unconnected with divorce. The trial court allowed temporary ali…
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These appeals were filed by the defendant below from two interlocutory orders entered in an action brought by the appel-lee against the appellant for alimony unconnected with divorce, under § 61.09 Fla. Stat., F.S.A.
The parties were married on January 20, 1970, after having entered into an antenup-tial agreement. On or about May IS, 1971 they separated, and the wife filed the present action. She applied for temporary alimony, suit money and attorney fees. In opposition thereto the defendant husband presented the antenuptial agreement. Therein the wife had agreed to accept the provisions made for her in the contract1 in lieu of “any and all claims” which could be made by her against the husband “for alimony, suit money or other maintenance.” 2
*77On July 1, 1971, the trial court entered an order in which it was recited that the plaintiff wife “does not contest the validity of the antenuptial agreement as a whole, but does contest the validity of Paragraph 4 thereof as pertains to waiver of alimony and maintenance”, and wherein the court held that the noted provision of the agreement would not preclude the wife from receiving temporary alimony and suit money, and made provision for a further hearing upon which to receive evidence and determine the amounts of such allowances. From that order the defendant husband filed interlocutory appeal No. 71-839.
Thereafter on July 28, 1971, the trial court entered an order awarding the plaintiff wife temporary alimony, and certain suit money including attorney fees. The defendant husband filed interlocutory appeal No. 71-838 from that order.
The provision of the antenuptial agreement, by which the wife agreed to accept the benefits received by her thereunder in lieu of any and all claims which could be made by her against the husband for alimony or suit money, was unambiguous and definite. In the July 1 order the trial court withheld ruling at that time on whether such agreement would be effective to preclude the wife from receiving alimony (which was the object of her filed action), but the court held said agreement was not effective to preclude her from claiming temporary alimony and suit money. We hold the latter ruling of the trial court was incorrect, and reverse.
On these appeals this court is not presented with the need to determine whether, under a contract such as this, a wife would be entitled to receive temporary alimony and suit money if she were proceeding for divorce. Compare Lindsay v. Lindsay, Fla. App.1964, 163 So.2d 336. This case does not present that situation. Here the sole object of the wife’s action was to obtain alimony, contrary to the express provision of the agreement by which she was not entitled to claim or receive it. There would appear to be no underlying reason of public policy, or otherwise, to grant the wife temporary alimony and suit money to aid her in prosecuting an action for alimony which, by her agreement, she was not entitled to claim.
The determinative question in the case then becomes whether an agreement by a wife in an antenuptial agreement, which is otherwise valid and in which she receives substantial consideration, wherein she agreed to waive any and all claims to alimony and suit money, is valid, or must be declared to be against public policy, and void.
In Posner v. Posner, Fla. 1970, 233 So.2d 381, the Supreme Court rejected a contention that an antenuptial agreement by which a prospective wife waives or limits her rights to alimony in the event of divorce or separation is against public policy and void. In that case, in which an ante-nuptial agreement had made provision for only a limited amount of alimony, the court held that the agreement was valid and binding between the parties, “but subject to be increased or decreased under changed con- . ditions as provided for in § 61.14, Florida Statutes, F.S.A.” The decision in that case denotes the validity of the agreement of the wife with relation to alimony in the present case. Here the wife has accepted the benefits received under the agreement, and her application for alimony was not based on any necessity claimed to have arisen from changes of financial circumstances of the parties.
Accordingly, the orders by which temporary alimony and suit money were allowed in this case are reversed.
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Citator
Cited By
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Annabelle G. Belcher v. Belcher, 271 So. 2d 7 (Fla. 1972)…the classic [*9] Del Vecchio 1 and thereafter propelled periodically in a perceptive progression of pedagogic pronouncements pertaining to preeminent progeny, Posner, Lindsay and others.2 Conflict is asserted between the Third District’s holding at 256 So. 2d 75 and these earlier mileposts and also with Astor 3 and Contractors Contract Noy 5948; regarding a husband’s basic obligation to provide support. Jurisdiction vests under Fla. Const, art. V, § 4(2), F.S.A. The query here is an extension of the quest…
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Annabelle G. Belcher v. Belcher, 307 So. 2d 918 (Fla. 3d DCA 1975)…and reverse in part, and remand the cause to the chancellor for further proceedings consistent herewith. . See Belcher v. Belcher, Fla.1972, 271 So. 2d 7 and Belcher v. Belcher, Fla.App.1974, 290 So. 2d 126. . See Belcher v. Belcher, Fla.App.1972, 256 So. 2d 75, 76, footnote No. 1, and Belcher v. Belcher, Fla.1972, 271 So. 2d 7, at 14 and 16. . The term “suit money” as so used includes attorney’s fees. See Smith v. Smith, 90 Fla. 824, 107 So. 257; Orr v. Orr, 141 Fla. 112, 192 So. 466; State v. Hobbs, Fla…
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Belcher v. Annabelle G. Belcher, 290 So. 2d 126 (Fla. 3d DCA 1974)…t-husband to pay appellee $1,800 monthly as temporary alimony, and in addition to continue to make the mortgage, taxes, and insurance payments on the marital residence which the appellee occupied. The order was appealed to this court which reversed (256 So. 2d 75). Appellee-wife filed a petition for writ of certiorari to the Florida Supreme Court which quashed this court’s opinion and remanded the cause to the trial court to hold an evidentiary hearing for the purpose of considering the ability of the ap-pel…
Previewing 3 of 4 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited
- Posner v. Sari Posner, 233 So. 2d 381 (Fla. 1970)
- Lindsay v. Lindsay, 163 So. 2d 336 (Fla. 3d DCA 1964)