Amsden v. Amsden

CourtNebraska Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 27, 2021
DocketA-20-648
StatusPublished

This text of Amsden v. Amsden (Amsden v. Amsden) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Amsden v. Amsden, (Neb. Ct. App. 2021).

Opinion

IN THE NEBRASKA COURT OF APPEALS

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND JUDGMENT ON APPEAL (Memorandum Web Opinion)

AMSDEN V. AMSDEN

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).

TRACY L. AMSDEN, APPELLANT, V.

MICHAEL P. AMSDEN, APPELLEE.

Filed April 27, 2021. No. A-20-648.

Appeal from the District Court for Merrick County: RACHEL A. DAUGHERTY, Judge. Affirmed in part, and in part reversed and remanded for further proceedings. Steffanie J. Garner Kotik for appellant. Joseph D. Neuhaus and Gregory M. Neuhaus, of Neuhaus Law Offices, for appellee.

MOORE, RIEDMANN, and BISHOP, Judges. BISHOP, Judge. I. INTRODUCTION Tracy L. Amsden appeals from the order of the Merrick County District Court enforcing a settlement agreement in a child custody modification action. Pursuant to the agreement, Michael P. Amsden was awarded physical custody of the parties’ two children. Tracy was awarded specified parenting time and was ordered to pay child support. We affirm the modification of physical custody and parenting time; however, we reverse the order of child support and remand that issue back to the district court for further proceedings. II. BACKGROUND Tracy and Michael were divorced in March 2018. Pursuant to the parties’ mediated parenting plan, the divorce decree granted the parties joint legal custody of their two children, born in 2004 and 2005, and Tracy was awarded physical custody of the children. The parties’ “Regular

-1- Time-Sharing” schedule was set forth in paragraph C of the parenting plan and provided the following weekend parenting time: 1st Weekend - [youngest child] with Dad 2nd Weekend - [oldest child] with Dad 3rd Weekend - Both boys with Dad 4th Weekend - Both boys with Mom Beginning the 5th weekend, the sequence repeats[.]

Weekend parenting time was to begin after school on Friday, at approximately 4 p.m., and end on Sunday at 5 p.m. Michael was to have parenting time with both children every Wednesday from 4 p.m. until Thursday morning when school started, or 8 a.m. if there was no school. Additionally, Michael was to have 6 weeks of parenting time each summer “in no more than 2-week blocks at a time.” A holiday parenting time schedule was also established. Michael was ordered to pay child support of $1,103 per month for the two children. On July 17, 2019, Michael filed a complaint to modify the decree. He alleged a material change of circumstances had occurred since the entry of the decree, namely that Tracy had moved to Aurora, Nebraska, and had several incidents with the police at her home. Michael requested custody of the parties’ children, subject to Tracy’s reasonable right to parenting time. He alleged that the parties held mediation on July 15, but no agreement was reached. The matter came on for trial on February 12, 2020. At that time, counsel for both parties confirmed that a stipulation had been reached. The district court asked that the stipulation be read into the record. Tracy’s counsel complied, and the following occurred on the record. [Tracy’s counsel]: Your Honor, essentially, Your Honor, what we’re going to be doing is flip-flopping effective June 1st, the custody/visitation arrangement. The only change it will have then, kind of springing this on -- not springing it on [opposing counsel], . . . [Michael] was getting six weeks in the summer, . . . in two-week increments. My client [Tracy] wants the six straight weeks in the summer. THE COURT: Why don’t you visit -- [Tracy’s counsel]: He brought it up. [Michael’s counsel]: We’re okay. [Tracy’s counsel]: Other than that, it will be identical. [Opposing counsel] and I will put together the stipulation for filing for the order for the Court. But we’re agreeing today that effective June 1st, it will -- that custody/visitation will flip-flop with that one change. Obviously, we’ll put together a parenting plan reflecting that, and the necessary child support calculation that will be effective June 1st as well, because neither one of us have all the information necessary for the child support calculation at this point. THE COURT: All right, thank you. [Opposing counsel], do you agree with that recitation? [Michael’s counsel]: I do, Your Honor. And if the Court would look at the parenting plan, paragraph C on page 2, and just flip that around as far as -- it’s kind of an unusual one. The first weekend [youngest child] only with, it will say mom instead of dad. Except for the six weeks for the summer break then which will be straight. But yes, we agree with that stipulation.

-2- THE COURT: Then [Tracy], you have heard the agreement? [Tracy]: Yes. THE COURT: And do you agree with this? [Tracy]: Yeah, I suppose. THE COURT: Okay. Do you understand or do you believe this to be in the best interest of your children? [Tracy]: No, but yeah. THE COURT: Okay. Sometimes it’s difficult and I realize that. [Tracy]: It’s hard, really hard. THE COURT: I appreciate that. [Michael], you’ve heard the agreement; is that correct? [Michael]: Yes. THE COURT: And you are in agreement with it? [Michael]: Yes. THE COURT: Do you believe it to be in the best interest of your children? [Michael]: Yes. THE COURT: Okay. I’m going to approve that agreement and I’m going to order it into effect. I’m going to order counsel to prepare an updated parenting plan changing that paragraph C on page 2 to reflect the new provision, to prepare a child support calculation and an order.

The court granted counsel 3 weeks to “submit the paperwork.” On March 3, 2020, Tracy’s attorney filed a motion to withdraw, stating that “professional consideration require [sic] termination of the representation of the client.” On March 16, 2020, Michael filed a “Motion to Enforce Settlement Agreement,” requesting that the district court enforce the stipulated agreement that was entered into by the parties on the record on February 12. An “Amended Parenting Plan” and child support worksheet were filed on March 23. The amended parenting plan was signed by Michael, but not Tracy. On April 27, 2020, a hearing was held on both the motion to withdraw as counsel and the motion to enforce the settlement agreement. Tracy and her counsel each appeared telephonically. Michael did not appear, but he was represented by his counsel. The district court began with the motion to withdraw. The court asked Tracy if she had any objection to her counsel withdrawing, and she responded, “No”; the court granted counsel’s motion to withdraw. The court then proceeded to the motion to enforce the settlement agreement, during which portion of the hearing Tracy was not represented by counsel. The court asked Michael’s counsel if there was any evidence he wished to adduce. Counsel replied, “No.” The court then noted that Tracy provided two items to the court that morning, and asked if she was offering those exhibits. Tracy replied, “Yes.” When asked if he had any objections to the two exhibits, Michael’s counsel stated, “I haven’t seen them. I guess I would object to any hearsay or, you know, the normal things that we object to on affidavits and so forth. But other than that, I have no objection.” The court received the two exhibits, but said it would not consider any information that was not otherwise allowable by the rules of evidence.

-3- Exhibit 1 is a letter from Tracy to the district court dated March 17, 2020, but not signed until April 23. In that letter, Tracy stated that she “was under duress from [her] attorney . . . to go along with that agreement” and she did not believe it was in the best interest of her children.

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

Related

Weiss v. Weiss
620 N.W.2d 744 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 2001)
Omaha Nat. Bank of Omaha v. Mullenax
320 N.W.2d 755 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1982)
In Re Estate of Mithofer
502 N.W.2d 454 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1993)
Drennen v. Drennen
426 N.W.2d 252 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1988)
Strategic Staff Management, Inc. v. Roseland
619 N.W.2d 230 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 2000)
Lautenschlager v. Lautenschlager
272 N.W.2d 40 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1978)
Gibbons Ranches v. Bailey
289 Neb. 949 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 2015)
Cook v. Cook
26 Neb. Ct. App. 137 (Nebraska Court of Appeals, 2018)
Smith v. King
29 Neb. Ct. App. 152 (Nebraska Court of Appeals, 2020)
Kelly v. Kelly
29 Neb. Ct. App. 198 (Nebraska Court of Appeals, 2020)
Tilson v. Tilson
307 Neb. 275 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 2020)
Yori v. Helms
307 Neb. 375 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 2020)
Bowmaker v. Rollman
29 Neb. Ct. App. 742 (Nebraska Court of Appeals, 2021)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
Amsden v. Amsden, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/amsden-v-amsden-nebctapp-2021.