Maryland Family Law Maryland family law opinions and commentary
Divorce: Alimony: Duration
Michael Cameron Karmann v. Suzanne Marie Karmann
CSA No. 1013, Sept. Term 2013. Unreported.
Opinion by Nazarian, J. Filed Nov. 3, 2014.
Appeal from Harford County. Vacated and remanded.
RecordFax #14-1103-05, 24 pages.
Rehabilitative alimony that will terminate only upon the payor’s retirement — an event solely within the payor’s control — is in fact indefinite alimony; and, as there were no findings on the record to support an indefinite alimony award, the appellate court vacated it (along with the marital property and attorneys’ fee awards) and remanded the matter to the circuit court without deciding which type of award would be appropriate in this instance.
Michael Cameron Karmann (“Husband”) and Suzanne Marie Karmann (“Wife”) appeal and cross-appeal, respectively, from a Judgment of Absolute Divorce issued July 8, 2013 (“the Judgment”) by the Circuit Court for Harford County. Each appeals from the court’s award of alimony to Wife, and Husband appeals as well from a monetary award and award of counsel fees the court granted to Wife. Both sides agree that the awards should be vacated, but for different reasons.
1. Did the circuit court abuse its discretion by awarding rehabilitative alimony to Wife?
2. Did the circuit court abuse its discretion by failing to list an explicit figure for the monetary award in the Judgment?
3. Did the circuit court abuse its discretion by awarding Wife attorneys’ fees?
