The parties separated after a six-year marriage, leading to a highly contentious 25-day trial over custody, support, and a malicious prosecution claim.
The trial judge granted sole custody to the respondent mother, ordered child and spousal support, dismissed the appellant father's malicious prosecution claim, and awarded the respondent $254,500 in costs, with $10,000 designated as support enforceable by the Family Responsibility Office.
The appellant appealed the custody, support, and malicious prosecution decisions, arguing trial unfairness due to the exclusion of secretly recorded tapes and his retained experts.
The respondent cross-appealed the costs designation.
The Court of Appeal dismissed both the appeal and cross-appeal, finding no error in the trial judge's evidentiary rulings, application of the malicious prosecution test, rejection of the appellant's undue hardship claim based on staggering legal fees, or discretionary apportionment of costs.
