In re the Marriage of Sterner
Robert Allen Sterner, Jr., Petitioner-Appellee
Mary Anne Dunham Sterner, Respondent-Appellant
Attorney for Appellant
Van T. Everett and Anjela A. Shutts
Attorney for Appellee
Ted Engel
Jami J. Hagemeier
Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals Opinion
Opinion Number:
Date Published:
Summary
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Madison County, Richard B. Clogg, Judge. AFFIRMED AS MODIFIED. Heard by Potterfield, P.J., and Tabor and Bower, JJ. Opinion by Potterfield, P.J. (20 pages)
Mary Sterner appeals from the decree dissolving her marriage to Robert Sterner Jr. Mary challenges a number of provisions in the decree, including those involving spousal support; the division of farmland; setting aside Robert’s inheritance as non-marital; the determination Mary’s personal injury awards were marital property; the filing of their 2016 taxes; and Robert’s bonus and retirement contributions from 2017—the year of the dissolution. Additionally, she asks for an award of appellate attorney fees. Robs asks that we affirm the decree, deny Mary’s request for appellate attorney fees, and award him fees instead. OPINION HOLDS: Because we agree with Mary that Robert should not be allowed to offset the entire amount of his inheritance, we adjust the equalization payment Robert owes to Mary to $55,323. Additionally, we amend Robert’s monthly spousal-support obligation to $4000 until Mary reaches the age of sixty-five—unless she remarries or dies before that time. We otherwise affirm the district court’s dissolution decree. We decline to award either party appellate attorney fees.
