Malina Ann Feeley

The Family Responsibility Office (FRO) initiated a default hearing against the respondent for child support arrears.

The respondent brought a motion to stay enforcement pending the determination of his separate motion to set aside/stay underlying orders.

The court dismissed the respondent's motion to stay, finding that his outstanding motion did not challenge the specific child support order being enforced.

The court also determined that the respondent failed to provide adequate financial disclosure to demonstrate an inability to pay ongoing support.

The court ordered the respondent to continue paying ongoing child support of $450/month and adjourned the default hearing to address arrears and potential imprisonment.

Costs were awarded against the respondent for unreasonable procedural conduct.

Following the rejection of Mr. Mwadi's urgent motion, the court addressed the issue of costs.

The Bureau des Obligations Familiales (BOF) and Ms. Mihalache, the respondents, sought costs.

The court awarded BOF $825 on a partial indemnity basis.

For Ms. Mihalache, a self-represented litigant, the court applied principles from *Fong v. Chan* and *Benarroch v. Fred Tayar & Associates P.C.*, reducing her claimed hours and awarding a symbolic amount of $250 due to insufficient evidence of foregone remunerative activity, while acknowledging the emotional cost.

Mr. Mwadi was granted 90 days to pay the awarded amounts.