Florida Court Orders Chidi Ahanotu to Surrender His Half-Time Championship Ring in Divorce Case

USA Today reports that a Florida divorce court recently ordered Chidi Ahanotu to handover the championship ring he won in 2002 while he was a defensive lineman for the St. Louis Rams.  This decision has been viewed as unfair by some members of the public.

The court ordered Ahanotu to surrender the ring in order to pay the $130,000 he owes for his ex-wife’s legal fees.  Ahanotu was not quiet about his view on the ruling:  “This court system is a farce . . . This court wants a man to hand over his once-in-a-lifetime accomplishment to pay some damn attorney’s fees? I could see if it was going to pay something for my children or my ex-wife.”

It is important to remember that the law relating to divorce and legal procedures vary by state.  In California, a trial court has broad discretion in deciding whether or not to award attorneys fees and costs in marital proceedings.  The court’s decision will not be overruled on appeal unless there is a showing of an abuse of discretion.  This means that the judge’s decision will remain intact on appeal unless it is shown that no judge could have reasonably decided to order (or deny) awarding attorneys fees and costs.

For more information about California’s divorce process, please contact our attorneys at Lonich Patton Erlich Policastri.  Please remember that each individual situation is unique and results discussed in this post are not a guarantee of future results.  While this post may include legal issues, it is not legal advice.  Use of this site does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Source:  USA Today