In re the Marriage of Scott L. Hart
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Petitioner ("husband") and respondent ("wife") divorced in May 1993 and entered into a Marital and Property Settlement Agreement ("settlement agreement") where, pursuant to the settlement agreement, husband and wife's two children would live primarily with wife and husband would pay wife child support payments each month plus half the cost of the children's uninsured medical expenses. At issue was whether the district court erred when it concluded that wife's statements filed with the court indicating that husband was current on his child support obligations as of September 2001 constituted judicial admissions and thus precluded an award of back child support; when it determined that wife had filed inconsistent pleadings and imposed sanctions against her; and when it held that husband did not owe wife for back child support. Also at issue was whether the district court erred by failing to award husband his attorney fees pursuant to a "prevailing party" contractual provision when the sanctions imposed on wife covered only a portion of husband's attorney fees. The court held that the district court did not err when it assumed that wife's written statements were true and concluded that the statements were judicial admissions where both documents that contained wife's statements were signed by her attorney at the time and neither were superseded or withdrawn at any point. The court also held that, without knowing the legal basis for sanctions, it was impossible to ascertain whether the award constituted an abuse of discretion and concluded that it was unnecessary to remand in light of the court's disposition of the last issue. The court further held that the district court did not err in concluding that husband did not owe wife back child support where the record established that wife was overpaid child support. The court finally held that the district court erred when it granted husband only a portion of his attorney fees and costs as sanctions against wife where, by the terms of the settlement, husband should have been awarded all of his costs and attorney fees expended in defense of wife's claims because husband was the prevailing party.
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