Marriage of Alamshahi CA3

BACKGROUND

The parties were married on October 16, 1999. On May 29, 2018, respondent filed a marital dissolution petition alleging the date of their separation to be May 14, 2018. On September 5, 2018, appellant filed her own dissolution action, alleging the same dates of marriage and separation. A. Trial At trial, appellant testified that she met respondent through a friend in March 1999. Respondent met with appellant’s family at their house to propose marriage to appellant. Her father, mother, sisters, and brother were present. The conversation took place in the living room and was mostly with her father. Respondent promised to give appellant a house for a dowry after they were married. Appellant and respondent were engaged in June 1999. The dowry proposal had already been made and agreed upon. They had an American marriage ceremony in October 1999 and an Afghani Muslim ceremony in November 1999 on Thanksgiving. At the November ceremony, appellant’s brother was her representative to discuss the dowry. In a Muslim marriage, the marriage certificate normally includes the dowry agreement. Appellant looked for the dowry agreement but could not find it. Appellant testified that in…