Katherine Cassell v. William Cassell

Summary

The Mississippi Supreme Court affirmed the divorce judgment, holding that a preponderance of the evidence is sufficient to rebut the marital-property presumption and that the chancellor properly classified the two disputed properties as Bill's separate property. The Court also held that, after equitable distribution, the chancellor properly applied the alimony factors governing post-distribution awards and did not abuse his discretion by awarding permanent periodic alimony rather than lump-sum alimony. The Court overruled prior precedent insofar as it provided a conflicting framework for alimony analysis.