106 Misc. 2d 877 | N.Y. Sup. Ct. | 1981
OPINION OF THE COURT
The issue presented in this “equitable distribution” matter involves one of original impression, namely, how the courts may treat, upon a proper showing, a request by one party for a direction by the court, pendente lite, to have the other party pay a sum of money to enable the needy spouse to retain professional services, such as accountants and appraisers, for purposes of evaluating, on behalf of the requesting spouse, the marital assets.
From a reading of section 236 (part B, subd 5) of the Domestic Relations Law it is apparent that the court is under a mandate to make an equitable disposition of the marital property of the parties in the final judgment. It is equally obvious that the evaluation of that marital prop
The defendant in the case at bar has amassed considerable assets from his work in the field of commercial interiors and real estate investments. The plaintiff, on the other hand, has been a housewife through the 39-year marriage and is totally unfamiliar with any of the defendant’s finances. She seeks ultimately an equitable distribution of the marital assets and in her motion for pendente lite relief seeks funds to retain the services of an accountant to examine defendant’s records in order to evaluate same for purposes of equitably distributing all of the marital assets.
The motion is determined in the short form order simultaneously with this memorandum decision, which deals exclusively with plaintiff’s request for funds to retain the services of an accountant.
Plaintiff is, therefore, awarded a fee in the amount of $500 to employ the services of an accountant to be retained by plaintiff’s attorney in connection with the discovery of defendant’s business records and finances, with leave to apply to the court for an additional fee, if warranted. Said sum shall be paid to plaintiff’s attorney by defendant as follows:
$250 within 15 days of service upon defendant of a copy