Domestic Relations: Divorce-Motion for Contempt

Husband appealed the trial court’s judgment. The parties’ divorce decree required wife to remove husband from the marital home’s mortgage and obligated husband to pay child and spousal support. The parties filed cross-motions for contempt. Although the trial court denied the motions, it issued a judgment requiring husband to pay arrearages.

Where the trial court had authority to treat wife’s motion as a dual motion for contempt and to enforce the support orders because the parties pleaded and argued the issue, there was no error in the trial court’s judgment.

Judgment is affirmed.

Bruns v. Bruns (MLW No. 79650/Case No. ED110124 – 7 pages) (Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, Dowd, J.) Appealed from circuit court, St. Louis County, Hilton, J. (Keli R. Webb, for appellant) (Benjamin T. Aranda, for respondent)