LexyCorpus case page
CourtListener opinion 9961630
Date unknown · US
- Extracted case name
- MR JOSEPH DAVID WILLETT APPELLANT APPEAL FROM UNION FAMILY COURT v. HONORABLE BRANDI H. ROGERS
- Extracted reporter citation
- 218 S.W.3d 395
- Docket / number
- 2023-CA-0490-MR JOSEPH DAVID WILLETT APPELLANT
Machine-draft headnote
Machine-draft public headnote: CourtListener opinion 9961630 is included in the LexyCorpus QDRO sample set as a public CourtListener opinion with relevance to pension / defined benefit issues. The current annotation is conservative: it identifies source provenance, relevance signals, and evidence quotes for attorney/agent retrieval. It is not a Willie-approved legal headnote yet.
Retrieval annotation
Draft retrieval summary: this opinion has QDRO relevance score 5/5, retirement-division score 5/5, and family-law score 5/5. Use the quoted text and full opinion below before relying on the case.
Category: pension / defined benefit issues
Evidence quotes
QDRO“be divided equally and each party will receive $766.32 per month. Commencing July 1, 2014, the Husband shall pay to the Wife the sum of $766.32 per month representing her portion of his military retirement. He shall continue to do so until such time as a Qualified Domestic Relations Order has been entered and the Wife has begun receiving those benefits directly from the military. On February 24, 2023, Wife filed a pro se motion seeking to recover the value of the annual COLA that Husband had been receiving as part of his military retirement benefits.1 In response, Husband argued that the Agreement 1 Wife further asserted that Husband”
retirement benefits“UDGE: Appellant, Joseph David Willett ("Husband"), appeals from a post-decree order of the Union Family Court directing him to pay Appellee, Shannon Michelle Willett ("Wife"), the value of Cost-of-Living Adjustments ("COLA") from the marital portion of his retirement benefits. Because Husband failed to show that he properly reserved his allegations of error, we review the Family Court's order for manifest injustice. Finding no such manifest injustice, we affirm. The relevant facts of this matter are as follows. Husband and Wife married in 1988 and separated in 2014. Two children were born of the marriage, but only one is”
pension“has attained the age of 70. Upon the occurrence of these events the cost will terminate but the coverage will continue. The Wife wishes to continue this coverage and therefore, prior to the disbursement to the Wife of her portion of the Husband's military pension the cost of said coverage will be deducted from the total -2- monthly benefit. The Husband enlisted in the military approximately two months prior to the marriage and was in the military for a total of 241 months. The Husband is entitled to a non-marital interest in said military retirement benefits to be computed as follows: 2 (the number of mont”
domestic relations order“equally and each party will receive $766.32 per month. Commencing July 1, 2014, the Husband shall pay to the Wife the sum of $766.32 per month representing her portion of his military retirement. He shall continue to do so until such time as a Qualified Domestic Relations Order has been entered and the Wife has begun receiving those benefits directly from the military. On February 24, 2023, Wife filed a pro se motion seeking to recover the value of the annual COLA that Husband had been receiving as part of his military retirement benefits.1 In response, Husband argued that the Agreement 1 Wife further asserted that Husband”
Source and provenance
- Source type
- courtlistener_qdro_opinion_full_text
- Permissions posture
- public
- Generated status
- machine draft public v0
- Review status
- gold label pending
- Jurisdiction metadata
- US
- Deterministic extraction
- reporter: 218 S.W.3d 395 · docket: 2023-CA-0490-MR JOSEPH DAVID WILLETT APPELLANT
- Generated at
- May 14, 2026
Related public corpus pages
Deterministic links based on shared title/citation terms and QDRO / retirement / family-law retrieval scores.
Clean opinion text
RENDERED: APRIL 12, 2024; 10:00 A.M.
NOT TO BE PUBLISHED
Commonwealth of Kentucky
Court of Appeals
NO. 2023-CA-0490-MR
JOSEPH DAVID WILLETT APPELLANT
APPEAL FROM UNION FAMILY COURT
v. HONORABLE BRANDI H. ROGERS, JUDGE
ACTION NO. 14-CI-00054
SHANNON MICHELLE WILLETT APPELLEE
OPINION
AFFIRMING
** ** ** ** **
BEFORE: CALDWELL, ECKERLE, AND MCNEILL, JUDGES.
ECKERLE, JUDGE: Appellant, Joseph David Willett ("Husband"), appeals from
a post-decree order of the Union Family Court directing him to pay Appellee,
Shannon Michelle Willett ("Wife"), the value of Cost-of-Living Adjustments
("COLA") from the marital portion of his retirement benefits. Because Husband
failed to show that he properly reserved his allegations of error, we review the
Family Court's order for manifest injustice. Finding no such manifest injustice, we
affirm.
The relevant facts of this matter are as follows. Husband and Wife
married in 1988 and separated in 2014. Two children were born of the marriage,
but only one is still a minor. Shortly before their marriage, Husband enlisted in the
United States military. He remained in the service long enough to qualify for
military retirement benefits.
Wife filed a petition for dissolution of the marriage on March 27,
2014. Shortly thereafter, the parties reached a Child Custody and Property
Settlement Agreement ("the Agreement") regarding all issues in the dissolution
action. The Family Court adopted the Agreement in its decree entered October 15,
2014. In pertinent part, the Agreement addressed the division of Husband's
retirement:
Currently, the Husband is receiving $1,653.00 per month
in military retirement benefits. From this amount, there
is deducted the sum of $107.54 for the election of the
parties for the survivor benefit plan (SBP) coverage.
This election allows the Wife to continue to receive an
annuity in the amount of $909.91 in the event of the
Husband's death. The monthly cost will continue to be
deducted until a total of 360 months have been paid and
the Husband has attained the age of 70. Upon the
occurrence of these events the cost will terminate but the
coverage will continue. The Wife wishes to continue this
coverage and therefore, prior to the disbursement to the
Wife of her portion of the Husband's military pension the
cost of said coverage will be deducted from the total
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monthly benefit. The Husband enlisted in the military
approximately two months prior to the marriage and was
in the military for a total of 241 months. The Husband is
entitled to a non-marital interest in said military
retirement benefits to be computed as follows:
2 (the number of months prior to marriage)
241 (the total number of months in the military[)]
x $1,545.46 = $12.82
The marital portion to be divided between the
parties shall be computed as follows:
239 (the number of months in the military after
marriage)
241 (the total number of months in the military)
x $1,545.46 = $1,532.64
This amount is to be divided equally and each
party will receive $766.32 per month. Commencing July
1, 2014, the Husband shall pay to the Wife the sum of
$766.32 per month representing her portion of his
military retirement. He shall continue to do so until such
time as a Qualified Domestic Relations Order has been
entered and the Wife has begun receiving those benefits
directly from the military.
On February 24, 2023, Wife filed a pro se motion seeking to recover
the value of the annual COLA that Husband had been receiving as part of his
military retirement benefits.1 In response, Husband argued that the Agreement
1
Wife further asserted that Husband failed to turn in the Survivor Benefit Plan ("SBP") coverage
paperwork to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service ("DFAS"), which manages
Husband's retirement benefits. Because Husband has remarried, Wife's coverage cannot be
renewed, and her portion of benefits will terminate upon Husband's death. The Family Court
declined to address this issue, noting that Husband had continued to pay the monthly cost for the
SBP, but DFAS failed to record it. Consequently, the Family Court concluded that the decision
-3-
only provided that Wife would receive a fixed amount of his benefits and not an
equal division. Following a hearing, the Family Court entered an Order on March
28, 2023, granting Wife's motion in part.
The Family Court concluded that the Agreement was ambiguous
regarding the division of Husband's military retirement benefits. Consequently,
the Family Court considered extrinsic evidence concerning the parties' intent.
Based on that evidence, the Family Court concluded that the parties intended to
divide the marital interest in the marital portion of all of the benefits, including the
annual COLA increases. Therefore, the Family Court directed Husband to
reimburse Wife in the amount of $2,545.02, representing her portion of the COLA
adjustments Husband had received. This appeal followed. Additional facts will be
set forth below as necessary.
As an initial matter, we note that Wife failed to file a brief in this
appeal. RAP2 31(H)(3) provides that, if the appellee's brief has not been filed
within the time allowed, this Court may: (a) accept the appellant's statement of the
facts and issues as correct; (b) reverse the judgment if appellant's brief reasonably
appears to sustain such action; or (c) regard the appellee's failure as a confession
of DFAS to terminate the annuity was beyond the jurisdiction of Kentucky Courts. Neither party
appeals this determination.
2
Kentucky Rules of Appellate Procedure.
-4-
of error and reverse the judgment without considering the merits of the case. This
Court has the discretion to decline to exercise any of the options listed in RAP
31(H)(3). See Roberts v. Bucci, 218 S.W.3d 395, 396 (Ky. App. 2007).3
However, we must also point out that Husband's brief is significantly
deficient. RAP 32(A)(4) specifically requires each argument to include
ample references to the specific location in the record and
citations of authority pertinent to each issue of law and
which shall contain at the beginning of the argument a
statement with reference to the record showing whether
the issue was properly preserved for review and, if so, in
what manner.
Husband's brief (filed by his attorney) fails to include a preservation
statement at the beginning of each argument, and it cites neither the Family Court
record nor the video record of the hearing. Given the lack of any preservation
statements and any adequate reasoning for the neglect, we will review Husband's
allegations of error for manifest error. Ford v. Commonwealth, 628 S.W.3d 147,
155 (Ky. 2021). Manifest injustice requires a showing of the probability of a
different result, or that the error in the proceeding was of such magnitude as to be
shocking or jurisprudentially intolerable. Martin v. Commonwealth, 207 S.W.3d 1,
3
While Roberts references former Kentucky Rule of Civil Procedure ("CR") 76.12(8)(c), RAP
31(H)(3) sets forth the same options.
-5-
3-4 (Ky. 2006). We conclude that Husband failed to establish any error of such
caliber.
In reaching its result, the Family Court relied, in part, upon
Applewhite v. Applewhite, No. 2008-CA-001494-MR, 2009 WL 1884615 (Ky.
App. Jul. 2, 2009) (unpublished),4 which involved a factually and legally similar
situation. As in the present case, the husband and wife in that case agreed to divide
equally the husband's military retirement benefits, calculating a specific amount
based on the husband's current benefit. Subsequently, the wife argued that she was
entitled to a proportionate increase from the COLA. The trial court in that case
agreed and required the husband to reimburse the wife for the value of the COLA.
Id. at *1.
On appeal, this Court affirmed, holding as follows:
The terms of a settlement agreement "are
enforceable as contract terms." KRS[5] 403.180(5); see
also Frear v. P.T.A. Industries, Inc., 103 S.W.3d 99, 105
(Ky. 2003). "[T]he construction and interpretation of a
contract, including questions regarding ambiguity, are
questions of law to be decided by the court[.]" Frear,
103 S.W.3d at 105 (citation and internal quotation marks
omitted). Consequently, we review the lower court's
decision de novo. Id. "An ambiguous contract is one
capable of more than one different, reasonable
interpretation." Central Bank & Trust Co. v. Kincaid,
4
Cited pursuant to RAP 41.
5
Kentucky Revised Statutes (footnote added).
-6-
617 S.W.2d 32, 33 (Ky. 1981). If an ambiguity exists,
the court may look to extrinsic evidence to determine the
parties' intent. Id.
In the case at bar, Maxine argues the provision was
capable of more than one interpretation because it cited
both a fixed dollar amount ($349.50) and a percentage
(one-half) relating to her share of James's retirement
benefits. James, on the other hand, contends that the
provision was unambiguous and clearly set forth a fixed
dollar amount award. After careful review, we agree
with Maxine's assertion and conclude the provision was
capable of more than one reasonable interpretation.
Where an ambiguity exists, "the court will gather,
if possible, the intention of the parties from the contract
as a whole, and in doing so will consider the subject
matter of the contract, the situation of the parties and the
conditions under which the contract was written, by
evaluating extrinsic evidence as to the parties'
intentions." Frear, 103 S.W.3d at 106 (internal citation
and quotation marks omitted).
Maxine tendered an affidavit explaining her belief
that the parties intended to award her one-half of James's
monthly retirement benefits as marital property when
they executed the agreement. Maxine stated that James's
refusal to establish an automatic payment through the
pension fund precluded her from receiving the periodic
COLAs. She also presented a document from the
Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS)
explaining the applicability of the Uniformed Services
Former Spouses' Protection Act (USFSPA), 10 U.S.C.6 §
1408, in dividing military retired pay in divorce
6
United States Code.
-7-
proceedings.7 James did not offer any evidence
regarding his intent at the time he signed the agreement;
instead, he argued that any ambiguity should be
construed against Maxine, as the drafter of the
agreement. B. Perini & Sons v. Southern Ry. Co., 239
S.W.2d 964, 965-66 (Ky. 1951). While this principle of
contract interpretation is accurate, we also point out that,
"[t]he rule of strict construction . . . certainly does not
mean that every doubt must be resolved against [the
drafter] . . . ." Motorists Mut. Ins. Co. v. RSJ, Inc., 926
S.W.2d 679, 680 (Ky. App. 1996).
To divide retired military pay pursuant to the
USFSPA, a court order must reflect the payment owed to
the former spouse as either a fixed dollar amount or a
percentage of disposable retired pay. 10 U.S.C. §
1408(a)(2)(C). The DFAS policy states:
If a fixed dollar amount award is used, the
former spouse would not be entitled to any
of the member's retired pay cost of living
adjustments (COLAs). Because of the
significant effect of COLAs over time, it is
infrequent that an award is stated as a fixed
dollar amount. The more common method
of expressing the former spouse's award is
as a percentage of the member's disposable
retired pay. This has the benefit to the
former spouse of increasing the amount of
the former spouse's award over time due to
the periodic retired pay COLAs.8
7
Defense Finance and Accounting Service, UNIFORMED SERVICES FORMER SPOUSES'
PROTECTION ACT: DIVIDING MILITARY RETIRED PAY, (rev.3/17/08), available at http://
www.dfas.mil/garnishment/retiredmilitary.html [footnote in original].
8
Defense Finance and Accounting Service, UNIFORMED SERVICES FORMER SPOUSES'
PROTECTION ACT: DIVIDING MILITARY RETIRED PAY, at 5 (rev.3/17/08), available at
http:// www.dfas.mil/garnishment/retiredmilitary.html (internal citation omitted) [footnote in
original].
-8-
Despite James's contention that the agreement
allotted a fixed dollar amount, thereby making Maxine
ineligible for COLAs, we are not persuaded the DRC
[Veterans' Affairs Decision Ready Claim program] erred
in construing the agreement in favor of Maxine. We
conclude the agreement was capable of more than one
interpretation, and Maxine presented persuasive extrinsic
evidence of the parties' intent. We find no error.
Id., 2009 WL 1884615, at *1-2.
Although Applewhite is an unpublished case, it relies on well-
established principles interpreting marital settlement agreements. Husband's
arguments in this case are substantially the same as those made by the husband in
Applewhite. Husband argues that Applewhite is distinguishable because he was not
responsible for establishing the automatic payment of benefits. But like in
Applewhite, the Agreement in this case provided that Husband would pay benefits
directly to Wife. Indeed, the Agreement is silent as to which party was obligated
to file a Qualified Domestic Relations Order ("QDRO") or other application with
DFAS.9 Thus, neither the Family Court nor this Court is being asked to direct
DFAS to pay benefits in a particular manner.
And, as in Applewhite, the Agreement set out the division of
Husband's military retirement both as a percentage of the total and as a fixed dollar
amount. Thus, the Agreement is ambiguous and subject to interpretation. As the
9
The result reached in this Opinion may have been different if a QDRO had been issued or if
Wife was receiving her portion of the benefits directly from DFAS.
-9-
Family Court recognized, COLA is typically treated as part of an earned benefit
during the marriage, rather than as being earned only after the entry of the decree.
See Brown v. Brown, 456 S.W.3d 823, 826-28 (Ky. App. 2015). Thus, under these
circumstances, Husband has failed to show that the Family Court's order directing
him to reimburse Wife for the value of the COLA amounts to manifest injustice.
Husband also raises issues other than COLA, but we do not need to address them
under this standard.
Accordingly, we affirm the post-decree order of the Union Family
Court.
ALL CONCUR.
BRIEF FOR APPELLANT: NO BRIEF FILED FOR APPELLEE.
M. Alexander Russell
Henderson, Kentucky
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