In a recent appeal over the payment of college education expenses by divorced parents for a minor child, the Massachusetts Appeals Court in Cooper v. Keto had to evaluate complicated choice of laws rules and Contempt standards for a contempt case that involved a California decree. Unless you're excited by jurisdiction and choice-of-law disputes, the majority of this case is not noteworthy. However, what really stood out in this decision had little to do with the substance, and more to do with the cost of this litigation. The lower court awarded the Mother $90,263.25 in attorney's fees and the trial court upheld that award. Even worse, the court notes that the Father's fees added up to approximately $250,000. Concurring in the majority opinion, Justice Brown provided some enlightening commentary on these fees: "Here, we again witness another puzzling situation in which the legal fees paid and awarded far exceed any amount that would be gained. Indeed, the fath
Read about mediation, collaborative law, and divorce in Massachusetts, with content from Skylark Law & Mediation PC, Gray Jay Endeavors LLC, and Dispute Resolution Training Associates.
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