Mueller v. Mueller

An award of an attorney’s fee pursuant to Domestic Relations Law § 237 lies within the sound discretion of the trial court {see *661Carr-Harris v Carr-Harris, 98 AD3d 548, 552 [2012]). In exercising that discretion, the court must consider the financial circumstances of the parties and the circumstances of the case as a whole, including the relative merits of the parties’ positions (see Guzzo v Guzzo, 110 AD3d 765 [2013]; Matter of Baribault v Sauvola, 101 AD3d 865, 866 [2012]; Matter of O’Neil v O’Neil, 193 AD2d 16, 20 [1993]). The court may also take into account whether one party has delayed…