WARNER, J.
A husband appeals an order granting the wife's motion for temporary relief of an award of attorney's fees in this dissolution of marriage action. The trial court found that the hours expended were unreasonable but failed to determine a reasonable number of hours or specify the reasonable hourly rate. Because the amount awarded appears inconsistent with the trial court's pronouncements, we must reverse and remand for further proceedings.
Although the husband stipulated to the reasonableness of the hourly rate charged by the principal lawyer representing the wife, he contested the reasonableness of the hours billed. The court agreed with his assessment, noting that the wife's firm had expended 500.3 hours for the about the same work that the husband's firm had expended 154.35 hours. The wife's law firm had used block billing, which made it impossible to determine the reasonableness of the hours expended on several matters. Moreover, the court found in its review of the wife's attorney's billing that the firm engaged in "excessive hand holding" for the wife. The court, however, did not make any findings as to the reasonable number of hours or reasonable hourly rates of law firm members. Instead, it ordered the husband to pay $97,538.70 in attorney's fees to date, as well as $6,200 in temporary costs, less the $12,000 previously paid by the husband.
Try as we might, we cannot decipher these numbers to determine whether the award to the wife is an abuse of discretion, particularly given the fact that the trial court appears to have sided with the
The husband also contends that there was no evidence to support the reasonableness of the hourly rate of the associate and paralegal who worked on the file. However, section 61.16(1), Florida Statutes, expressly does not require corroborating expert testimony to support an award of fees. As the wife's principal attorney testified to the rates charged and the husband provided no contrary evidence, the trial court could rely on those rates in setting the fee.
The remaining issue the husband raises concerns the interpretation of a mediation agreement provision regarding prevailing party attorney's fees and how it applies to the issues in this case. Resolution of this issue is premature for the purpose of awarding temporary attorney's fees.
Reversed and remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
MAY and CONNER, JJ., concur.