Davis v. Petito
Annotate this CaseIn this custody modification proceeding, Joanna Davis was ordered by the circuit court to pay her ex-husband, Michael Petito, $30,773 in attorneys' fees and costs because the trial court determined she was in a better financial position than Petito due to Davis having received pro bono representation by the Sexual Assault Legal Institute (SALI), whereas Petito had accumulated over $70,000 in legal fees as a result of retaining private counsel. The court of special appeals affirmed. The Court of Appeals reversed, holding that the court's consideration that Davis was represented on a pro bono basis in order to award attorneys' fees to Petito, who had retained counsel, was erroneous under Md. Code Ann. Fam. Law 12-103. Remanded.
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