The appellant, Lester Leggette, appeals from a final decree of divorce in which he was required to pay $4,000 per month in child support for the parties’ three children. On appeal, Mr. Leggette contends that the trial court erred by permitting the appellee, Susan Leggette, to question him at trial regarding checks that had been paid to him but that he had not deposited into his bank account. Mr. Leggette also contends that the trial court erred in awarding Ms. Leggette attorney fees of $28,423.25. For the reasons that follow, we find no error with regard to questions about the undeposited checks, but conclude that we must reverse the award of attorney fees and remand the case to the trial court for further proceedings. 1. On cross-examination about checks that he had received for work as an anesthetist, Mr. Leggette testified that, over the one-year period preceding trial, he had not deposited many checks that he had received for his business and that the undeposited checks were in a safe at his home. On appeal, Mr. Leggette contends that, although he had not disclosed all of the checks that he had received from his work, he had disclosed the total amount of his income to Ms. Leggette and that this line of questioning unfairly and incorrectly implied that he was concealing income from her.
Mr. Leggette, however, did not object in a timely manner to this questioning. The record shows that Ms. Leggette questioned Mr. Leggette at some length about the undeposited checks before Mr. Leggette objected on the ground of relevancy. The record also shows, however, that the trial court did not rule on the objection and that more questioning regarding the undeposited checks ensued. Mr. Leggette objected again, and the trial court overruled the objection. Because Mr. Leggette did not object to evidence about the undeposited checks when the subject was first discussed and because extensive testimony regarding the undeposited checks occurred before Mr. Leggette objected to the evidence and obtained a ruling from the trial court, Mr. Leggette is barred from raising objections on appeal to evidence regarding the undeposited checks.1
