Marriage of Wilson CA4/3
── Marriage of Wilson CA4/3 ──
Court: California Court of Appeal
Date: June 04, 2026
Category: General
Filed 6/4/26 Marriage of Wilson CA4/3
NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS
California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for
publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication
or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.
IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT
DIVISION THREE
In re the Marriage of JENNIFER A.
and JEFFREY WILSON.
JENNIFER A. WILSON,
G065414
Respondent,
(Super. Ct. No. 22D008718)
v.
OPINION
JEFFREY WILSON,
Appellant.
Appeal from a postjudgment order of the Superior Court of
Orange County, Thomas J. Lo, Judge. Affirmed.
Jeffrey Wilson, in pro. per., for Appellant.
No appearance for Respondent.
* * *
Appellant Jeffrey Wilson appeals the trial court’s postjudgment
order granting respondent Jennifer Wilson’s request to be added as an owner
of a 529 account set up for their son’s education and awarding her monetary
sanctions in the amount of $4,949.84 for appellant’s repeated failure to timely
pay expenses from the account. We find no error and affirm the court’s order.1
FACTS
In January 2025, respondent filed a request for order that she be
added as an owner of the 529 account controlled by appellant due to his
alleged failure to timely pay their son’s college expenses. Respondent also
sought monetary sanctions. Appellant, represented by counsel, opposed the
requests.
In March 2025, after hearing argument from both parties, the
trial court took note of a minute order dated May 8, 2023, which found
appellant had been “[un]cooperative” on a previous occasion in “relinquishing
funds from the 529 account.” The court then granted respondent’s request for
order and imposed sanctions: “The [c]ourt finds [appellant]’s conduct
frustrates the policy of the law which includes, among other things, the
reduction of the cost of litigation and the encouragement of cooperation
between the parties and attorneys. The [c]ourt orders sanctions against
[appellant] in the amount of $4,949.84. The [c]ourt believes this amount is
fair, just and reasonable in light of all circumstances and does not impose an
unreasonable burden on [appellant].”
1 On March 25, 2026, appellant filed a motion for late submission
of exhibits. We hereby grant appellant’s motion for late submission but note
that the exhibits do not affect our conclusion.
2
DISCUSSION
“‘A judgment or order of a lower court is presumed to be correct
on appeal, and all intendments and presumptions are indulged in favor of its
correctness.’” (Thompson v. Asimos (2016) 6 Cal.App.5th 970, 981.) Therefore,
“‘“it is the appellant’s responsibility to affirmatively demonstrate error”’” by
“‘“supply[ing] the reviewing court with some cogent argument supported by
legal analysis and citation to the record.”’” (Los Angeles Unified School Dist.
v. Torres Construction Corp. (2020) 57 Cal.App.5th 480, 492, 497.) An
appellate court is “not required to develop a party’s argument for it” nor to
independently “search the record” for legal issues. (LAOSD Asbestos Cases
(2023) 87 Cal.App.5th 939, 955.) Furthermore, we hold pro per litigants to
the same standards as those represented by legal counsel. (Rappleyea v.
Campbell (1994) 8 Cal.4th 975, 984 [“[W]e make c
{# E23 (Nick, ruling section 1 answer 10): quoting a bill or a court opinion works
the way quoting a news article works. Select a passage above and the same panel
opens: the passage goes to the official you choose, with this document's own
address as its source and its own type. #}