Marriage of West CA2/6

Facts and Procedural Background The parties were married in 2006 and separated in 2020. They had three children: a son born in 2006, a daughter born in 2008, and another daughter born in 2011. Wife has a bachelor’s degree in social science from UC Irvine and a master’s degree in landscape architecture from Cornell University. For most of the marriage, she was not employed outside the home but maintained her landscape architect’s license in good standing. Husband is a highly compensated executive in the pharmaceutical industry. In February 2020, husband filed a petition for dissolution of the marriage. At the time of separation, he was employed as a director of medical affairs for Horizon Therapeutics, a pharmaceutical company. His compensation included a base salary of $21,668 per month, plus discretionary annual bonuses and stock awards, including stock option grants, RSUs, and PSUs.

In re Marriage of Ostler & Smith (1990) 223 Cal.App.3d 33, held that spousal and child support awards may include both a percentage of the supporting spouse’s wages and a percentage of the income he or she receives in the form of bonuses, dividends and other types of discretionary…