Olszewski v. Jordan

Summary

The court held that attorneys are not entitled by operation of law to equitable charging liens against marital assets for fees and expenses incurred in obtaining judgments in marital dissolution proceedings. Existing charging-lien precedent involved proceeds or newly created assets obtained through litigation, whereas dissolution proceedings distribute preexisting marital assets and raise distinct policy concerns involving settlement, nonmonetary interests, and the court-created financial arrangement. The judgment of the Appellate Court was reversed, and the case was remanded with direction to affirm the trial court.