In re Marriage of Gurney and Kalcheim CA2/4

BACKGROUND

The parties began living together in July or August of 1992 while they were in law school. They married on June 8, 1996, and the trial court found that they separated on October 31, 2000. Gurney filed a petition for dissolution of marriage on January 31, 2001. The trial court issued a Final Statement of Decision on May 10, 2011, and final judgment was entered on July 19, 2011. Kalcheim timely appealed. The following assets were at issue in this case.

1. Kalcheim’s Law Practice Kalcheim started a law practice in December 1998. Gurney graduated from law school but never practiced or completed the bar.

2. Property in Laughlin, Nevada In late 1998, Kalcheim‟s stepfather, Stanley Heller, arranged for Kalcheim to take title to property in Nevada through a foreclosure sale. Kalcheim executed a $200,000 promissory note in favor of Heller on November 30, 1998. At trial, Gurney estimated the property to be worth $2 million.

2 Gurney testified that the Nevada property was a gift to her and Kalcheim from Kalcheim‟s mother and stepfather. She testified that, after the property was purchased, she had no involvement with the property other than to give one or two tax bills…