Goosen v. Estate of Standaert
General recitation of contract law, specifically what constitutes a meeting of the minds and oral contracts.
General recitation of contract law, specifically what constitutes a meeting of the minds and oral contracts.
Mutual release in divorce agreement surrenders or waives husband’s option to purchase marital interest in company stock.
Stipulation resolving custody/placement issues which provided that it would be included in F & Js was intended to reflect the final resolution, unlike an interlocutory agreement which can be disavowed.
Where parties stipulation sets out that maintenance is to be determined by wife’s schedule C income, court cannot rewrite a clear and unambiguous contract.
Button only applies to agreements made before or during marriage which contemplate a continuation of the marriage relation. Agreement signed after divorce was filed was a divorce stipulation and is controlled by Ray v. Ray, 57 Wis. 2d 77 (1973), and either party could withdraw from it until it was incorporated into the judgment.
There are two types of agreements: Those which are mutual contracts and those which are concessions of facts. The second type is a procedural convenience to relieve a party of having to prove a fact. Here, the husband conceded a fact, his earning capacity. This was not a stipulation because both parties did not agree to it.
Wife is estopped from seeking extension of maintenance where stipulation stated that there “would be no extensions.” The estoppel doctrine applies even though there was not a “comprehensive settlement of all …issues” Estoppel applies where the parties have resolved all other issues concerning the divorce before agreeing to the stipulation for which estoppel is sought.
Wife is estopped from seeking extension of maintenance where stipulation stated that there “would be no extensions.” The estoppel doctrine applies even though there was not a “comprehensive settlement of all …issues” Estoppel applies where the parties have resolved all other issues concerning the divorce before agreeing to the stipulation for which estoppel is sought.
A settlement agreement which allows for maintenance to be modified only for increases violated public policy, so equitable estoppel does not apply. Wife would only get increases without sharing in the risk and, unlike a stipulation which has a nonmodifiable fixed amount or term, this one-sided agreement invites litigation.
Marital stipulation was unambiguous that wife agreed to assume a proportionate share of gains and losses from husband retirement. Judicial economy would be ill-served by permitting a judicial reallocation of loss.