Ferguson v. Ferguson
Supreme Court of Mississippi
639 So. 2d 921 (1994), En Banc
Linda Ferguson (plaintiff) and Billy Ferguson (defendant) divorced after 24 years of marriage in which Linda worked as a homemaker and part-time cosmetologist while Billy worked as a cable technician accumulating pension, stock, and savings benefits. Linda sought divorce based on Billy's adultery, and his mistress testified he had hidden $30,000 from Linda. The chancery court granted Linda the divorce, custody, child support, monthly alimony, a $30,000 lump-sum alimony payment, half of Billy's workplace benefits, and the entire marital home debt-free. Billy appealed the size and explanation of the award.
Whether it is within a court's equitable discretion to award a wife substantially more than half the marital property plus support, with little explanation, where she had little independent income or assets, the husband earned a moderate living, and the divorce ground was the husband's adultery.