Dey v. Morton

ZACHARY C. DEY, APPELLEE, v. TASHA M. MORTON, APPELLANT.

No. A-19-644.

NEBRASKA COURT OF APPEALS

June 9, 2020

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND JUDGMENT ON APPEAL

(Memorandum Web Opinion)

NOTICE: THIS OPINION IS NOT DESIGNATED FOR PERMANENT PUBLICATION AND MAY NOT BE CITED EXCEPT AS PROVIDED BY NEB. CT. R. APP. P. § 2-102(E).

Appeal from the District Court for Seward County: JAMES C. STECKER, Judge. Affirmed.

Sean M. Reagan and Megan E. Shupe, of Reagan, Melton & Delaney, L.L.P., for appellant.

Linsey A. Camplin, of McHenry, Haszard, Roth, Hupp, Burkholder & Blomenberg, for appellee.

PIRTLE, BISHOP, and WELCH, Judges.

PIRTLE, Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

This is an appeal from a custody and child support order entered by the district court for Seward County, Nebraska. For the reasons that follow, we affirm the decision of the district court.

II. BACKGROUND

Tasha M. Morton and Zachary C. Dey were romantically involved between 2011 and 2016. Their daughter Harper was born in June 2014. The parents lived together in Utica, Nebraska, from 2012 until Tasha moved to Wyoming in March 2016. During the almost 2-year period while Tasha was living in Wyoming, the parties established a "two weeks on, two weeks off" parenting schedule which meant exchanging the child on Sundays in North Platte, Nebraska, which was roughly halfway between the parents' homes. In January 2018 Tasha moved to Aurora, Nebraska, and the parties moved the exchanges to York, Nebraska, on Fridays.

In March 2018, Zachary filed a complaint for custody and paternity. In early May, Tasha withheld Zachary's 2 weeks of parenting time, so he immediately filed a motion for temporary custody. The matter was set for hearing on June 4. The court ordered joint legal and physical custody of the child and prescribed parenting time for the other pursuant to a parenting plan. No child support was ordered because the income of each parent was approximately the same. The parents were ordered to cooperate with mediation within 90 days of entry of the temporary order, and they were admonished to cooperate with each other in all their parenting responsibilities.

Trial was held on May 9, 2019. On June 19, the court entered its order granting joint legal custody to both parents, with physical custody awarded to Zachary subject to Tasha's parenting time. Tasha was ordered to pay $718 in child support every month but she would have 8 weeks of summer parenting time subject to Zachary's weekend visitation.

III. ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR

Tasha assigns as error the court's award of physical custody to Zachary and the court's failure to include a child support abatement during her summer parenting time.

IV. STANDARD OF REVIEW

In a filiation proceeding, questions concerning child custody determinations are reviewed on appeal de novo on the record to determine whether there has been an abuse of discretion by the trial court, whose judgment will be upheld in the absence of an abuse of discretion. In such de novo review, when the evidence is in conflict, the appellate court considers, and may give weight to, the fact that the trial court heard and observed the witnesses and accepted one version of the facts rather than another. Citta v. Facka, 19 Neb. App. 736, 812 N.W.2d 917 (2012).

V. ANALYSIS

1. PHYSICAL CUSTODY

The Parenting Act, Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 43-2920 through 43-2943 (Reissue 2016) defines "custody" as both "legal" custody and "physical" custody. The court ordered the parents to share "legal" custody of Harper, meaning they share "mutual authority and responsibility of the parents for making mutual fundamental decisions regarding the child's welfare, including choices regarding education and health." § 43-2922(11). The court ordered "physical" custody to be with Zachary which means he has "authority and responsibility regarding the child's place of residence and the exertion of continuous parenting time for significant periods of time" subject to Tasha's parenting time as defined by their parenting plan. § 43-2922(20). Tasha alleges the district court has erred in making the physical custody determination.

The district court's order summarized the evidence introduced at trial and found both parents have been actively involved in caring for Harper and that each parent is a fit parent. In that event, when both parents are found to be fit, the inquiry for the court in determining custody then becomes, what is in "the best interests of the child" as defined in the Parenting Act. Westerhold v. Dutton, 28 Neb. App. 17, 38, 938 N.W.2d 876, 891 (2020). See Maska v. Maska, 274 Neb. 629, 742 N.W.2d 492 (2007).

In determining what is in a child's best interests under § 43-2923, courts may consider factors such as general considerations of moral fitness of the child's parents, including the parents' sexual conduct; respective environments offered by each parent; the emotional relationship between child and parents; the age, sex, and health of the child and the parents; the effect on the child as the result of continuing or disrupting an existing relationship; the attitude and stability of each parent's character, parental capacity to provide physical care and satisfy educational needs of the child; and many other factors relevant to the general health, welfare, and well-being of the child. See Westerhold v. Dutton, supra.

2. BEST INTERESTS

(a) Relationship With Each Parent

The court found each parent had a loving, stable, and mutually beneficial relationship with Harper. Zachary presented evidence which described the daily routine when Harper is in his home. Harper goes to preschool during the workweek and after school, when Zachary is home from work, they feed the dogs, cats, and other farm animals together. They play outside together when the weather permits, they ride horses together, and after supper Zachary and Harper play "learning games," including practicing counting, working on letters, and reading. After a bath, bedtime is 8 p.m. Tasha did not provide evidence of the daily routine in her home but the court found both parents were consistent as to the other in their disciplinary practices, relying on time outs and removal of privileges.

Both parents acknowledged it is in Harper's best interests to have the other parent in her life. The court found on balance that Zachary was more likely to promote the ongoing relationship with the mother and showed more potential as a communicator between the parents. The court was particularly concerned about Tasha's withholding visitation after mediation of the parenting plan failed. Tasha testified withholding parenting time was her lawyer's advice. We cannot say the district court abused its discretion in its assessment and conclusion regarding this evidence.

(b) General Health and Welfare of Child

The evidence was clear that Zachary has been primarily responsible for Harper's medical care since her birth. Harper's medical providers are all located in Lincoln or in Seward County. Tasha lived in Wyoming for a 2-year period and even though Harper was with her for 2 weeks at a time, there was no evidence that Harper ever saw a medical provider for any purpose in Wyoming, including for her annual physical.

Zachary has lived in the same house since Harper was born. Tasha has moved a number of times, sometimes related to her employment, and sometimes not. At the time of the trial Tasha was living in Aurora and working in Grand Island. Tasha's mother and sister lived to the east and west of her, respectively, in Hampton and Phillips. Tasha's workweek includes two weekends per month, and variable hours during the business days since her employment is in a shopping mall and the mall is open in the evenings. Zachary commutes to Lincoln, Monday through Friday, and works the first shift, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Both parents testified they have a support system which could be helpful to Harper if there is an emergency during the workday. The court found bothhomes are appropriate for Harper but concluded the environment provided by Zachary was more stable than the environment provided by Tasha.

Both parents testified Harper's education is important to them. Harper attends a preschool 5 days a week in Utica which is affiliated with the public school system and feeds students into the kindergarten in the Centennial School District. Harper attends a private preschool 3 days a week in Aurora. The preschool in Utica generally sees more progress...