Newhall

In 1951 plaintiff filed a suit for divorce. The interlocutory decree was rendered October 31, 1952, and the final decree November 3, 1953. Meanwhile, the parties negotiated and executed a property settlement agreement dated October 23, 1952. The interlocutory decree ordered and adjudged “that the Property Settlement Agreement between plaintiff and defendant, executed by said parties on October 23, 1952, be and the same is hereby ratified, confirmed and approved, and each of the parties is hereby ordered to do and perform each and every obligation on his or her part required to be performed under said agreement.” The final decree ratified, confirmed and approved the agreement in identical terms.

Each decree “further ordered, adjudged and decreed that, pursuant to said Property Settlement Agreement, defendant be and he is hereby ordered and directed as follows:

Later, the defendant moved for an order modifying the final decree in the following respects: (1) to reduce the annual payment for the support of each child from $5,000 to $1,800 annually; (2) to reduce the payment for the support of the plaintiff from $22,000 to $9,000 annually. He predicated his motion upon allegedly…