Bryars v. Bryars

The primary problem on appeal is whether the trial judge should have recused himself as to hearing and deciding issues in postdivorce litigation.

The financially affluent marriage of the parties was dissolved by their divorce in October 1984 after protracted litigation. No appeal was taken from that judgment, but both parties sought enforcement, amendment, and/or clarification of various provisions of the divorce decree.

Mr. Bolton was a member of the law firm which represented the husband throughout this domestic relations case, but he was not one of the husband's trial attorneys. When the…