In re Marriage of Gutman

              No. 2--06--0213 Filed: 10-16-07
_____________________________________________________________________________
IN THE
APPELLATE COURT OF ILLINOIS
SECOND DISTRICT
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In re MARRIAGE OF DANIEL GUTMAN, ) Appeal from the Circuit Court
) of Lake County.
Petitioner-Appellee, ))
and ) No. 95--D--966
)
MARY GUTMAN, ) Honorable
) Joseph R. Waldeck,
Respondent-Appellant. ) Judge, Presiding.
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PRESIDING JUSTICE GROMETER delivered the opinion of the court:
The trial court granted petitioner Daniel Gutman's postdissolution petition to terminate
maintenance. Twenty-nine days later, respondent Mary Gutman moved to vacate that judgment. The
court denied that motion, and, 35 days later, Mary moved to reconsider. The court denied that
motion, and Mary appealed, while her own civil contempt petition was pending. We hold that,
despite the pendency of the contempt petition, the court's judgment granting Daniel's petition to
terminate maintenance was the final judgment as to all "claims for relief" in the dissolution action,
for the purposes of Supreme Court Rule 304(a) (210 Ill. 2d R. 304(a)). Thus, Mary was required to
appeal within 30 days of that judgment or within 30 days of the denial of her motion to vacate.
Because she did not, her appeal is late, and we dismiss it.
On September 12, 1996, the trial court dissolved the parties' marriage. On June 21, 2002,
Mary filed a petition to continue and modify maintenance. Daniel filed an amended petition to