Kakinami v. Kakinami
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After Bonnie Kakinami filed a complaint for divorce from Aaron Kakinami, the family court granted Aaron's motion to continue the trial. Eighteen months after she filed for divorce, Bonnie filed a motion to bifurcate. The family court granted her request. During the hearing on the motion, the family court found Bonnie was entitled to divorce and entered a divorce decree that dissolved the marriage and made certain orders regarding division of property and debts. The court reserved the division of property and debts not decided by the divorce decree until the trial. Later, the family court entered its findings of fact and conclusions of law, finding that the court had good cause to bifurcate the divorce. The intermediate court of appeals concluded that the family court did not abuse its discretion by bifurcating the proceedings and entering the divorce decree. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding (1) the family court was correct to apply the good cause standard for bifurcating the divorce proceedings, and (2) the family court did not abuse its discretion by finding that good cause existed to bifurcate the proceedings in this case.
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