Marriage of Patel and Bhatia CA2/3

INTRODUCTION

This appeal stems from a contentious marital dissolution case. After the parties entered into a stipulated judgment on reserved issues, the trial court declared appellant Anthony A. Patel a vexatious litigant and prohibited him from filing in propria persona any new litigation in the courts of this state without first obtaining leave of the presiding judge or justice of the court in which he proposes to file the litigation.1 The court also imposed $5,000 in sanctions against him under Family Code section 271, payable to his ex-wife, respondent Sonya Bhatia.2 Patel contends the court lacked jurisdiction to enter these orders because the case had already been settled. Alternatively, he argues, he lacks the ability to pay the sanctions, and the court should not have second-guessed his abusive tactics because they worked: Bhatia agreed to settle. We affirm.

BACKGROUND

The parties married on October 27, 2006. They have two minor children. Patel filed a petition for dissolution of marriage on July 8, 2013. A partial stipulated judgment dissolving the marriage and disposing of certain property was entered on January 31, 2017. In September 2019, the court initially set the…