On Oct. 23, 2026, Florida’s Fifth District Court of Appeal reaffirmed that Luis Garcia must pay attorney fees to ex‑wife Ruth Garcia, but reversed the $50,000 figure, sending the case back to the circuit court to justify the amount.
The appeal centers on a 13‑day divorce trial that concluded on Oct. 12, 2026, when the circuit court dissolved their 12‑year marriage and awarded attorney fees to Ruth. The trial judge described Garcia’s failure to disclose a notebook of rental income as “egregious” and bad‑faith conduct.
The appellate court agreed that Garcia’s nondisclosure of rental records was serious enough to warrant a sanction, yet found the trial judge had not explained how the $50,000 was calculated, citing a lack of hourly rate, hours worked, and proportionality.
Garcia had previously challenged the division of marital property and the fee award, arguing the amount was arbitrary. The appeals court said it upheld the entitlement to fees but remanded for findings, leaving the sanction intact.
The remand means the circuit court must now produce a written basis for the fee amount, detailing the attorney’s hourly rate and the number of hours reasonably spent, before the amount can be finalized. Ruth, who spent months chasing the missing records, now faces a second round of litigation to determine how much she must be compensated.
The case will be heard again in the circuit court next month, with the judge expected to issue a detailed fee schedule by Jan. 15, 2027.