Divorce-Property Division-Attorney Fees

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WI Court of Appeals – District III

Case Name: Lisa J. Gill v. James B. Gill

Case No.: 2021AP001771

Officials: Stark, P.J., Hruz and Gill, JJ.

Focus: Divorce-Property Division-Attorney Fees

Gill and Bahr married in June 2011. At that time, Gill was fifty-eight years old and the sole owner of a hair salon business, Salon Aura, which had three locations and carried a significant amount of debt and negative equity. Bahr, on the other hand, was a forty-five-year-old school teacher. Throughout the parties’ marriage, Salon Aura was profitable and increased in value. Bahr, however, did not participate in the management or operations of the business. Despite Salon Aura’s success, the parties nonetheless “liv[ed] way outside of [their] means,” as Gill conceded in his testimony. James Gill appeals a judgment of divorce and an order denying his motion to reconsider issues regarding the parties’ property division. Gill argues that the circuit court erroneously exercised its discretion by assigning less than half of his business’s tax liabilities to his ex-wife, Lisa Bahr (formerly known as Lisa Gill). He also argues that the court erroneously denied his motion to reopen the evidence after the divorce was granted to consider how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the value of his business. Finally, Gill argues that the court erroneously awarded Bahr $15,000 in attorney fees.

Affirmed.

Decided 08/29/23

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