Allain v. Allain

164 N.E.2d 611, 24 Ill. App. 2d 400
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedMarch 7, 1960
DocketGen. 10,245
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 164 N.E.2d 611 (Allain v. Allain) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Allain v. Allain, 164 N.E.2d 611, 24 Ill. App. 2d 400 (Ill. Ct. App. 1960).

Opinion

JUDGE CARROLL

delivered the opinion of the court.

Defendant has appealed from an order of the County Court of Champaign County entered in a proceeding brought under the provisions of the Uniform Reciprocal Enforcement of Support Act.

The plaintiff and defendant were divorced in the District Court for the 15th Judicial District of Minnesota and on Sept. 7, 1946, said Court entered an order requiring defendant to pay the sum of $20 per month for the support and maintenance of Emmett Lee Al-lain, child of the parties. On Sept. 17, 1956, plaintiff, with whom the child was residing in Palm Beach County, Florida, filed her verified petition in the Circuit Court of said County praying an order for support of said child pursuant to the Florida Uniform Reciprocal Enforcement of Support Act (referred to herein as the Uniform Act). It is alleged in said petition that defendant has refused and neglected to provide fair and reasonable support for the dependent according to his means and earning capacity; that petitioner is employed as a domestic in a private home earning $30 per week and is receiving public aid in the amount of $6 per month; that the dependent child is mentally retarded and requires special school facilities; that petitioner requires $100 per month for the support of the child; that defendant is a member of the United States Air Force residing at Chanute Air Force Base, Rantoul, Illinois, within the jurisdiction of the Circuit Court of the 6th Circuit of Illinois; and that the State of Illinois has enacted a law substantially the same as the Uniform Act of Florida. Service of summons could not be had upon defendant in the State of Florida. Plaintiff appeared in the Florida court and testified and upon her testimony and the verified petition, the Florida court found that defendant should be compelled to answer the petition, recommended that defendant be ordered to pay $100 per month for the support of the dependent and ordered that its certificate together with exemplified copies of the petition and summons be transmitted to the Circuit Court of Champaign County, Illinois. Upon the filing of said copies therein the Champaign County Circuit Court certified the same to the County Court of said County for process. Summons issued and was served upon defendant. Upon denial of his motion to strike the petition, he filed an answer denying the allegations of the petition and as an affirmative defense alleged full compliance with the divorce decree of the Minnesota court and that he was a member of the United States Air Force stationed at an Air Force base and not within the jurisdiction of either the County or Circuit courts of Champaign County, Illinois. The defendant having filed a verified denial of material allegations of the petition, the court ordered that a transcript showing the denials by the defendant be transmitted to the Florida Circuit Court. The Florida court thereupon conducted a hearing and a transcript of the testimony taken on such hearing was filed in the Champaign County Court and the matter set for hearing. After hearing defendant’s testimony the County Court ordered him to pay $50 monthly for the support of the child with the provision that he was to be given credit for any payments made pursuant to the decree of any other court. The court also placed the defendant upon probation conditioned upon payment of the amount specified therein. From this order defendant has appealed.

The principal ground upon which reversal is urged is that the Minnesota decree was entitled to full faith and credit in Illinois and that the County Court abused its discretion in changing the same as to future payments due thereunder without allegations and proof of a material change in circumstances. Defendant cites Light v. Light, 12 Ill.2d 502, in support of such argument. The proceeding involved in that case was brought under the Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act to register a Missouri divorce decree in the Circuit Court of McLean County, Illinois. The Missouri decree awarded plaintiff custody of the minor child of the parties, ordered payment of gross alimony and also required defendant to make monthly payments for alimony and child support. The Circuit Court decreed that the Missouri decree be registered only as to the amount of the past due installments of alimony and child support. The plaintiff, on cross appeal, contended that the Missouri decree was entitled to full faith and credit as to future installments of alimony and child support. In holding that the decree was entitled to full faith and credit as to future payments, the Supreme Court said:

“Policy considerations argue strongly that such decrees are entitled to full faith and credit. Unless they receive interstate recognition, the insulated judicial systems of the several States may become sanctuaries within which obligations that have been fully and fairly adjudicated in another jurisdiction may be escaped. These policy considerations have found expression in the decisions of many State courts which, on the grounds of comity, have given full effect, including equitable enforcement, to foreign decrees awarding alimony in the future. . . .”
“The practical problems that might arise in the enforcement of a decree subject to modification by the courts of more than one forum are no more difficult under the full-faith-and-credit clause than they are when foreign judgments are given full effect as a matter of comity. If anything, they are less complicated than those that have necessarily been assumed in the enforcement and modification of decrees relating to the custody of children. (People ex rel. Halvey v. Halvey, 330 U. S. 610; May v. Anderson, 345 U. S. 528. Mr. Justice Traynor’s opinion in Worthley v. Worthley, 283 P.2d (Cal.) 19, blueprints a pattern for their solution that is as appropriate under the full-faith- and-credit clause as it is when interstate recognition is based on comity. . . .”

As indicated by the above quotations from its opinion, the Court found no reason for denying full faith and credit to a decree merely because it might be subject to modification in the future. In other words, finality was held not to be essential to bring a judgment within the protection of the full faith and credit clause.

In the case at bar, the decisive question is not whether the Minnesota decree is entitled to full faith and credit in Illinois, bnt whether the amount of support money provided by said decree is the limit as to the amount which the defendant can be called upon to pay for the support of his child. Such question was not involved in the Light case. The purpose of the Illinois Uniform Act is to secure support in civil proceedings for, among others, dependent children from persons legally responsible for their support. Par. 50, Chap. 68, Ill. Rev. Stats. 1955. The Act further provides :

“Notwithstanding the fact that the respondent has obtained a final decree of divorce or separation from his wife or a decree dissolving his marriage, the father is liable for the support of any dependent child of the marriage. . . .” (Sub-Par. (e), Par. 52.)

It is thus apparent that the issue before the trial court Avas whether the defendant or respondent was providing reasonable and proper support for his minor child.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Thompson v. Thompson
366 N.W.2d 845 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1985)
People Ex Rel. Oetjen v. Oetjen
416 N.E.2d 278 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1981)
People Ex Rel. Noah v. Gasik
415 N.E.2d 452 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1980)
Olson v. Olson
534 S.W.2d 526 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1976)
Craft v. Hertz
182 N.W.2d 293 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1970)
McClellan v. McClellan
261 N.E.2d 216 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1970)
Elkind v. Byck
439 P.2d 316 (California Supreme Court, 1968)
Leland v. Brower
192 N.E.2d 831 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1963)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
164 N.E.2d 611, 24 Ill. App. 2d 400, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/allain-v-allain-illappct-1960.