McDowell Rice successfully defends two appeals in dissolution of marriage action

McDowell Rice successfully defended two appeals in a dissolution of marriage action. The first appeal centered around the Platte County, Missouri Circuit Court’s classification of a business entity as marital property and award of $2,750,000 in equity from the business entity to our client. The Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District upheld the Circuit Court’s classification of the business entity and equity award to our client because the business entity was started in contemplation of marriage, was intended to be marital property and both parties contributed to the increased value of the business entity throughout the course of the marriage. The second appeal involved the Circuit Court granting an attorney’s lien. The Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District upheld the Circuit Court’s ruling regarding the attorney’s lien. R. Pete Smith was lead counsel and argued the appeals before the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District;