Van Camp v. Van Camp

California Court of Appeal
199 P. 885, 53 Cal.App. 17 (1921)
ELI5:

Sections

Rule of Law:

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The Legal Principle

This section distills the key legal rule established or applied by the court—the one-liner you'll want to remember for exams.

Facts:

  • In 1914, before his marriage, Frank Van Camp organized the Van Camp Sea Food Company, a corporation in which he was the controlling shareholder.
  • Van Camp brought substantial separate property, including his stock in the company, into his March 1916 marriage to the plaintiff.
  • During the marriage, Van Camp served as the president and general manager of the corporation, devoting his exclusive attention to its management.
  • The corporation paid Van Camp a salary for his services, which started at $1,000 per month and was later increased to $1,500 per month.
  • The total salary Van Camp received during the marriage was $69,203.
  • The family's living expenses, which are presumed to be paid from community funds, amounted to approximately $60,630.
  • The Van Camp Sea Food Company was highly successful and generated enormous profits and dividends far in excess of the salary paid to Van Camp.

Procedural Posture:

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How It Got Here

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Issue:

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Legal Question at Stake

This section breaks down the central legal question the court had to answer, written in plain language so you can quickly grasp what's being decided.

Opinions:

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Majority, Concurrences & Dissents

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Analysis:

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Why This Case Matters

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