Michael v. Michael

791 S.W.2d 772 (1990)

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Nature of the Case

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Facts

H and W were married and moved to Little Rock, Arkansas. There were no children born of this marriage. H holds a master's degree in journalism. W holds a master's degree in public administration. W worked Southwestern Bell Corporation. D was employed as a reporter for a local newspaper. W was promoted and transferred to St. Louis. H began to drift along in life. After being fired for a job, the couple agreed that H would devote time to writing fiction. W received another transfer, and the couple moved to Oklahoma City. H abandoned writing without ever having written a chapter in a book or a scene in a play. H drifted from job to job, and it was agreed that H would be responsible for the general upkeep of the house and also for the preparation of the evening meal. H spent several hours a day preparing the couple's dinner. H did not perform the domestic chores very well. H drove W to and from work. H then slept until 10 or 11:00 a.m. every day. W was again transferred to St. Louis. After moving to St. Louis. The couple's lifestyle improved, and they had a significant amount of disposable income. Divorce was filed. W was thriving and had been working for Southwestern Bell for more than 15 years and was earning over $70,000 per year. She had vested pension benefits equal to $ 1,169.58 monthly payable at age sixty-five (65). H receives no income from employment, however he receives $75 per month in interest, and his share of the gross income on the previous year's Federal Income Tax Return was $1200. The court allocated $51,347 or 75.5% of the parties' marital property to W and $14,128 or 21.5% to H. The court granted appellant no maintenance but allowed H $500 for attorney's fees. H appealed.