In Re Marriage of Green

KING, Acting P.J.

In this case we hold that an award of attorney fees and costs, either as a sanction or for actions "related" to a marital dissolution action, was supported by findings that a party to the action brought other actions or proceedings against his spouse or her attorney to gain an unfair advantage over the spouse, to deliberately attempt to exhaust his spouse financially and deny her effective counsel, and to dissuade her counsel from pursuing the action.

James Paul Green, an attorney representing himself, appeals from an order awarding attorney fees and costs to his former spouse Caroline Ann Allen (Green).

Following the issuance of remittitur in In re Marriage of Green (1989) 213 Cal. App.3d 14 [ 261 Cal. Rptr. 294 ], Caroline [1] filed a motion for $116,313 in attorney fees and costs under Civil Code section 4370 [2] and former section 4370.5. [3] In support Caroline filed her lawyers' declarations accompanied by itemized billing statements for services rendered in the instant matter and in "myriad related actions in both the trial and appellate courts," as well as a detailed income and expense declaration. James filed extensive opposition papers.

At…