Domestic Relations - Divorce

Staff Report//March 12, 2025//

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Plaintiff appealed the trial court’s judgment of contempt after it found she failed to comply with the judgment of divorce. Plaintiff argued that the trial court’s judgment failed to cite the facts constituting her contempt and that the contempt finding was against the weight of the evidence. Plaintiff further argued that the trial court erred in amending the divorce judgment and considering a video used to refresh plaintiff’s recollection.

Where the trial court failed to state the facts constituting plaintiff’s contempt, it erred in issuing the judgment and lacked authority under the parties’ separation agreement and statutory law to amend the divorce judgment.

Judgment is affirmed in part, reversed and remanded in part.

Tierney v. Tierney (MLW No. 82845/Case No. ED112742 – 12 pages) (Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, Stevens, J.) Appeal from circuit court, St. Louis County, Green, J. (Nicholas J. Tindall, for appellant) (John R. Fenley, Hannah G. Chapman, for respondent)