California Court of Appeal on Wednesday overturned a $39,000 legal‑fee award that had been granted to A O by his wife, Alina Vologodskaya, in their 2023 divorce case.
The couple filed for divorce in August 2023, and both sought restraining orders that month. By January 2024, they settled the orders and agreed on a one‑year protection for A O, while Vologodskaya waived her own request.
The settlement omitted any provision for payment of legal fees, a gap that surfaced when A O brought a claim in April 2025 for $75,476 in attorney costs. A lower court awarded him $39,000 in February 2026 after hearing arguments in October and December.
The appellate court held that, under state rules, a fee claim must be filed within 180 days of the restraining‑order decision—February 2024. Because A O filed in April 2025, over a year later, the court ruled the claim was untimely.
The court noted that the settlement had left other financial matters open for future consideration, but it did not treat legal fees in that way, and the divorce had not yet been finalized. The decision leaves A O without the funds and the case closed at this level.
A O may seek further appeal to the California Supreme Court, but the appellate ruling stands for now.