See

See v. See

Bad Law
1966 Cal. LEXIS 309·51 Cal. Rptr. 888·64 Cal. 2d 778·415 P.2d 776
Supreme Court of CaliforniaJuly 1, 1966L. A. No. 27754California2,176 words

Opinion

lead Opinion

Traynor, J.

-Plaintiff Laurance A. See and cross-complainant Elizabeth Lee See appeal from an interlocutory judgment that grants each a divorce. Laurance attacks the finding that he was guilty of extreme cruelty, the granting of a divorce to Elizabeth, and the award to her of permanent alimony of $5,400 per month. Elizabeth attacks the finding that there was no community property at the time of the divorce. Neither party contests the provisions regarding custody and support of the three minor children.

The parties were married on October 17, 1941, and they separated about May 10, 1962. Throughout the marriage they were residents of California, and Laurance was employed by a family-controlled corporation, See’s Candies, Inc. For most of that period he also served as president of its wholly-owned subsidiary, See’s Candy Shops, Inc. In the twenty-one years of the marriage he received more than $1,000,000 in salaries from the two corporations.

The trial court did not err in finding that plaintiff’s actions constituted extreme cruelty. That finding was made upon consideration of all the circumstances of the case in light of the “intelligence, refinement, and delicacy of sentiment of the…

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