ROCKWALL, TX — The Fifth District Court of Appeals in Dallas has upheld a divorce ruling from Rockwall County, emphasizing the critical importance of financial transparency and the serious implications of family violence allegations. The case, In the Interest of K.C., a Child, highlighted a contentious dispute between Aaron Clark ("Husband") and Larissa Clark ("Wife") regarding child support calculations and the division of their marital estate.
Hidden Income and Digital Breadcrumbs
The main contention in the appeal revolved around the Husband’s monthly child support obligation, which the trial court set at $1,840. The Husband, who has been unemployed since March 2023, argued that the court lacked a rational basis for concluding his net resources exceeded $9,200 per month.
However, the appellate court referenced digital evidence discovered in the Husband's financial records. Despite his non-compliance with discovery requests, the Wife obtained CashApp statements revealing over $159,000 in deposits over a 14-month period. Although the Husband claimed to be a day trader merely moving funds between accounts, the trial court deemed his testimony unreliable, favoring the Wife’s evidence that the funds were income from a furniture business.
A Disproportionate Division
The trial court awarded the Wife a disproportionate share of the community estate, which included two houses and her retirement accounts. This ruling was based on several findings:
The court found the Husband guilty of cruel treatment and family violence towards the Wife, supported by video evidence.
The Husband was found to have wasted and mismanaged community assets, including a $206,000 withdrawal from his retirement account.
Evidence indicated that the Wife had made all mortgage payments since 2018 and agreed to assume $46,000 in unpaid tax debt.
The Risks of Going Pro Se
A significant aspect of the trial was the Husband’s decision to represent himself after his retained counsel withdrew. This choice made the already complex family law litigation even more challenging.
"This case serves as a stark reminder that facts are won or lost at the trial level," states Robert Guest, Partner at Guest and Gray Law Firm. "Representing yourself in a high-stakes divorce is incredibly risky because once a trial judge makes a finding on credibility, family violence, or financial waste, those decisions are nearly impossible to overturn on appeal. Texas judges treat family violence with the gravity it deserves, and as we see here, digital trails like CashApp leave little room for excuses when the court is determining child support and property division."
Final Ruling
The Husband also contested his visitation rights; however, the appellate court dismissed the issue as moot since the child turned 18 on February 27, 2025. Ultimately, the court found no abuse of discretion, concluding that the evidence supported the Rockwall County court's verdict.
