Varner

A former wife appeals from an order which modified her spousal support award by reducing the level of support, limiting it to one additional year, and terminating jurisdiction to make further modifications in it thereafter. Concluding that the trial court erred both in limiting support to one year and in terminating jurisdiction, we modify the order by striking those provisions and affirm it as modified.

Factual and Procedural Background

After living together for about two years, Kim Denise Varner and Stephen Varner were married in December of 1977. At that time, Kim was 17 years old. They produced three children, bom in 1978, 1979, and 1982.

The parties separated in either June 1983 or August 1984, and Kim petitioned for dissolution of their marriage in August 1984. The action was repeatedly continued and finally taken off calendar in October of 1985 when the parties reconciled. Two more children were bom to the parties thereafter.

The parties again separated in September of 1989, and Kim resumed prosecution of the dissolution action. By a judgment entered in July of 1993 which incorporated a stipulation between the parties, the marriage was dissolved and the…

See footnote, ante, page 932.