Gainty v. Infantino

Syllabus

The defendant appealed from the trial court's judgment affirming a family support magistrate's decision ordering him to pay overdue child support to the plaintiff and granting the plaintiff's motions for appellate attorney's fees and for contempt. The defendant claimed, inter alia, that the court improperly affirmed the magistrate's decision. Held: The trial court properly affirmed the magistrate's decision, as the magis- trate's finding underlying the decision regarding the balance in overdue child support owed by the defendant was not clearly erroneous. The trial court did not abuse its discretion in granting the plaintiff's motion for appellate attorney's fees, as the court's finding that rejecting the plain- tiff's request for such fees would undermine the court's prior financial orders and lead to an inequitable result was sufficient to justify the award. The trial court properly granted the plaintiff's motion for contempt, as the defendant's claim that the decision underlying the motion conflicted with two prior orders and, thus, was not clear and unambiguous was unavailing. Argued January 21—officially released May 5, 2026