filed:

DISCUSSION

I. The Governing Law

During the pendency of a dissolution action, a court may order one party to pay some or all of the other party’s legal fees and costs. (§ 2030.) The purpose of section 2030 is not to redistribute money from the greater income party to the lesser income party, but to promote parity in the form of a fair hearing with the two sides in the case equally represented. “The idea is that both sides should have the opportunity to retain counsel, not just (as is usually the case) only the party with greater financial strength.” (Alan S. Jr. v. Superior Court (2009) 172 Cal.App.4th 238, 252; see also In re Marriage of Keech (1999) 75 Cal.App.4th 860, 866.) “California’s public policy in favor of expeditious and final resolution of marital dissolution actions is best accomplished by providing at the outset of litigation, consistent with the financial circumstances of the parties, a parity between spouses in their ability to obtain effective legal representation.” (Droeger v. Friedman, Sloan & Ross (1991) 54 Cal.3d 26, 41, fn. 12; In re Marriage of Hatch (1985) 169 Cal.App.3d 1213, 1215-1216.)

3 Section 2030 subdivision (a), provides that, during the…