Opinion highlights for the week of May 10, 2026

 

The Arkansas Court of Appeals handed down seventeen decisions on May 13, 2026.  The Arkansas Supreme Court did not issue any opinions this week.  We will note a couple of those Court of Appeals decisions in this post.

Hopping v. Scarborough, 2026 Ark. App. 303, involves a child-custody dispute.  One of Hopping's issues on appeal challenged the trial court's award of attorney's fees to Scarborough.  She asked the Court of Appeals to "require a reviewable basis" for the award and to overturn Tiner v. Tiner, 2012 Ark. App. 483, 422 S.W.3d 178.  In making its award, the trial court considered the fee petition and its attachments, Hopping's response, and the factors set forth in Chrisco as modified for domestic relations cases.

The majority agreed with Hopping, remanded the case, and overruled Tiner.  "[E]very decision awarding fees in a domestic-relations case, regardless of the basis on which the court is authorized to award it, should provide this court with findings sufficient to enable it to complete a meaningful review of the fee award." Hopping, 2026 Ark. App. 303, at 10.  In the majority's view, the trial court explained the basis for its award in a "conclusory" fashion.

Simply put, the court’s order does not provide this court with any reasoning on which the court’s fee award can be effectively evaluated. ... There very well may be a rational basis to support the court’s conclusion, but without any explanation from the circuit court as to its reasoning behind the award of fees, we are unable to properly perform our appellate function of evaluating whether the court’s award constituted an abuse of discretion. Consequently, in light of the record before us, we must reverse.

Id. at 13.  The case was reversed and remanded for reconsideration of the fee award, and, to the extent it conflicted with the majority's opinion, the Court of Appeals overruled Tiner.

A dissent contended that the trial court followed precedent in making its fee award.  It also argued that the majority substituted its judgment for that of the trial court.

This issue is an interesting basis for bringing an appeal - did the trial court adequately explain its reasoning, so that the appellate court can perform its function of meaningfully reviewing the trial court's decision?  Both opinions in Hopping - the majority and dissent - are worth your time.

Greenwood v. Greenwood, 2026 Ark. App. 306, involved an appeal from an order of protection.  The Court of Appeals dismissed in part for lack of a final order.  While orders of protection entered under Ark. Code Ann. section 9-15-205 can be appealed as final orders, the order of protection involved here contemplated further action - child support was to be determined in a supplemental order, which was not in the record.

Therefore, because the order of protection contemplates further judicial action and there is no certificate complying with Arkansas Rule of Civil Procedure 54(b), we must dismiss the appeal in part regarding the order of protection... without prejudice for lack of a final order.

Greenwood, 2026 Ark. App. 306, at 18-19.

Thank you for reading.