Marriage of Chang and Sim CA1/4

I. BACKGROUND2

A. The Dissolution Proceeding: Status Termination, Discovery, and Other Preliminary Matters The parties married on May 21, 2007. Chang initiated trial court proceedings by filing and serving a petition for dissolution on June 25, 2018.3 In a status-only ruling, the trial court (Hon. Joni T. Hiramoto) terminated the marital status as of January 8, 2019. At the same hearing, the court granted a motion by Chang to compel Sim to produce her initial disclosures. Sim, who was representing herself at that point in the trial court proceedings, had not appeared for the hearing despite knowing of the date and having made arrangements with CourtCall to appear.

1 Because we resolve the appeals on the grounds stated in the text, we

need not address Chang’s contentions that (1) the appeals should be dismissed under the disentitlement doctrine because of Sim’s violation of trial court orders, and (2) the inadequacy of Sim’s appellate brief provides a basis to affirm the challenged orders or dismiss the appeals. Except as to the dismissal of appeal no. A167357 as discussed in the text, Chang’s motion to dismiss these appeals (a motion he combined with his respondent’s brief) is…