Shanks v. Treadway

The issue in this case is the proper interpretation of a 1981 divorce decree that divided, among other assets, retirement benefits stemming from one spouse’s employment both during and after the marriage. The trial court held that the divorce decree awarded the non-employee spouse, a specific percentage of the retirement benefits valued at the date of divorce. The court of appeals reversed, concluding that the decree unambiguously awarded the non-employee spouse a percentage of the total amount of the benefits on the date of retirement. 110 S.W.3d 1, 6. We hold that the court of appeals…