Bender v. Bender

Mr. Bender (defendant), a firefighter for over 19 years, was married to Mrs. Bender (plaintiff) for that entire period; the marriage broke down largely due to Mr. Bender's neglect, adultery, and occasional violence. The couple had no significant savings when they divorced, but Mr. Bender had an unvested pension that would vest in six more years if he kept working. The trial court granted the divorce and awarded Mrs. Bender half of Mr. Bender's future pension benefits, and Mr. Bender appealed.