Family Code 271 allows a judge on motion of a party to a marital dissolution proceeding to sanction the opposing party for conduct that frustrates the policy of the law to promote settlement of litigation. Here, the judge abused his discretion in awarding sanctions against wife’s attorney under that section, as the statute allows sanctions only against a party, not an attorney. Also, the judge abused his discretion in awarding sanctions against wife since he based his decision on his disagreement with the positions she took in the litigation and with her having challenged him as biased–rather than on conduct that frustrated settlement.