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NC COA Case Summary: Henson v. Henson

By Ryan Schultz

Equitable Distribution, COAA818-11o, Sept. 4, 2018
Thomas Steven Henson v. Robin Black Henson
Cabarrus County

After an equitable distribution hearing, Defendant/Wife (“Wife”) was awarded the value of $51, 524.00 contained in a SEP IRA, which was the value at the date of separation. The SEP IRA had gained $30,000 – $40,000 of passive gains from the date of separation to the date of trial. The court declined to award Wife the passive gains, and only the date of separation value of the SEP IRA.

Wife appealed but did not challenge the trial court’s distribution of the SEP IRA in her appeal.

On June 6, 2017, the COA filed an opinion affirming in part and reversing and remanding in part the trial court’s order. The mandate was issued on June 26, 2017.

On June 2, 2017, four days prior to the court’s opinion, Wife’s counsel sends Husband’s trial and appellate counsel an email of a Domestic Relations Order (“QDRO”) which conveyed the entirety (rather than just the date of separation value) of the SEP IRA account to Defendant Wife.

Here is where it gets interesting: On June 15, 2017 – Counsel for Wife submitted the proposed QDRO to the trial court along with a ‘Verification of Consultation With Opposing Counsel” indicating that Husband’s counsel has not responded, and this proposed judgment/order is submitted for your consideration.” The trial court entered Wife’ s proposed QDRO on June 20, 2017. Important to note that Wife’s counsel also submitted to the trial court a “read receipt” of the email which indicated that counsel for Husband read but did not respond to Wife’s counsel’s email.

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