Belding v. Belding

736 So. 2d 425, 1999 WL 153737
CourtCourt of Appeals of Mississippi
DecidedMarch 23, 1999
Docket97-CA-00630 COA
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 736 So. 2d 425 (Belding v. Belding) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Belding v. Belding, 736 So. 2d 425, 1999 WL 153737 (Mich. Ct. App. 1999).

Opinion

736 So.2d 425 (1999)

Dean BELDING, Appellant,
v.
Sharon BELDING, Appellee.

No. 97-CA-00630 COA.

Court of Appeals of Mississippi.

March 23, 1999.

*426 Michael C. Hester, Long Beach, Attorney for Appellant.

William E. Tisdale, Sekul, Hornsby, Tisdale and Baker, Biloxi, Attorney for Appellee.

BEFORE THOMAS, P.J., DIAZ, AND SOUTHWICK, JJ.

SOUTHWICK, J., for the Court:

¶ 1. The Harrison County Chancery Court granted a divorce to Sharon Belding on the ground of her husband Dean's adultery. In addition to the award of custody of their minor son to Mrs. Belding, Mr. Belding claims that the chancellor erred in (1) ordering him to pay $300 per month in child support; (2) awarding the marital domicile to Mrs. Belding and requiring him to pay the mortgage, taxes, insurance, and expenses associated with the home; (3) denying him an award of attorney's *427 fees and assessing all court costs against him; (4) denying his motion for a new trial; (5) refusing to order the psychological summary of Dr. Virginia DeRoma released to him; (6) finding that his adulterous behavior precipitated the breakup of the marriage; and (7) failing to award him sole possession of real property located in the state of Georgia. We find that these issues do not merit reversal and affirm.

FACTS

¶ 2. Dean and Sharon Belding were married in Winder, Georgia in 1988. Three years later, while residing in Hawaii, they adopted their son Robert Benjamin Belding, who was born in Romania on May 18, 1991. Mr. Belding was a member of the United States Navy. From March 1993 to August 1994 the couple was separated while Mrs. Belding was in West Virginia receiving medical treatment and Mr. Belding was stationed in Hawaii. During that time their son was with the maternal grandmother. Mrs. Belding returned to Hawaii and in 1995 the entire family moved to Long Beach, Mississippi as a result of Dean's naval transfer.

¶ 3. The Beldings separated on May 16, 1996. There was evidence presented that at some stage after arriving in Mississippi, Mr. Belding admitted to his wife that he had two adulterous relationships in Hawaii while his wife was gone. On May 24, 1996, Mrs. Belding filed for a divorce on the ground of adultery. During the pendency of the action, the court awarded joint custody of Robert to both Mr. and Mrs. Belding. Mr. Belding was ordered to pay $200 per month as temporary support. All parties were ordered to submit to psychological evaluations.

¶ 4. A trial was held on November 8 and 12-13, 1996. The court entered judgment on January 17, 1997, awarding a divorce to Mrs. Belding on the ground of adultery, awarding primary custody of Robert to Mrs. Belding, and ordering Mr. Belding to pay $300 per month in child support. Mrs. Belding was also awarded the exclusive use, possession and enjoyment of the marital home. Mr. Belding was ordered to pay the mortgage, property taxes, and insurance associated with the home. Mr. and Mrs. Belding were each awarded a one-half interest in their home in Georgia; however, Mrs. Belding was to be responsible for the mortgage, property taxes, and insurance. She was also entitled to any rental income from the property. Mr. Belding's subsequent motions for reconsideration, a new trial, and his request for Dr. DeRoma's psychological summary report were all denied.

DISCUSSION

¶ 5. This Court does not reevaluate the evidence, retest the credibility of witnesses, nor otherwise act as a second fact-finder. Unless the chancellor was manifestly wrong, clearly erroneous, or applied an erroneous legal standard, we will affirm. Wright v. Stanley, 700 So.2d 274, 280 (Miss.1997). If there is substantial evidence in the record to support factfindings, no matter what contrary evidence there may also be, we will uphold the chancellor. Smith v. Jones, 654 So.2d 480, 485 (Miss.1995).

I. Child custody

¶ 6. In child custody cases, the best interest of the child must be kept paramount. Sellers v. Sellers, 638 So.2d 481, 485 (Miss.1994). In determining what that interest requires, several factors are considered. They are:

(1) age, health and sex of the child;
(2) a determination of the parent that has had the continuity of care prior to the separation;
(3) which has the best parenting skills and which has the willingness and capacity to provide primary child care;
(4) the employment of the parent and responsibilities of that employment;
(5) physical and mental health and age of the parents;
(6) emotional ties of parent and child;
*428 (7) moral fitness of parents;
(8) the home, school and community record of the child;
(9) the preference of the child at the age sufficient to express a preference by law;
(10) stability of home environment and employment of each parent and other factors relevant to the parent-child relationship.

Albright v. Albright, 437 So.2d 1003, 1005 (Miss.1983).

¶ 7. In his opinion, the chancellor noted that "[t]he custody decision was difficult and a close call." However, after applying the Albright factors, he awarded custody to Mrs. Belding. He made an on-the-record review of each factor after we remanded the issue to him for analysis, and we now have the benefit of the chancellor's precise findings. Since this is the initial and perhaps most significant issue that the parties present to us, we will review each factor in some detail.

¶ 8. At the time of trial, Robert was five and a half years old. The chancellor ruled that although Robert was no longer an infant, "the tender age would slightly favor the mother having custody." Robert's health was also good; therefore, neither party was favored by the chancellor. Because Robert is a boy, the chancellor weighed the factor of the child's sex slightly in favor of Mr. Belding.

¶ 9. The continuity of care factor was found in favor of Mrs. Belding. Mr. Belding, as a member of the United States Navy, was often on deployments and away from home. As a result, Mrs. Belding provided the majority of the care. As to parenting skills, the chancellor held that both parties exhibited "excellent parenting skills." Both parents testified as to their willingness to provide the child's primary care.

¶ 10. Mr. Belding disagrees with the chancellor's finding that Mrs. Belding had been the child's primary care giver in the past. He admits that there were brief periods of separation which resulted from his deployment with the navy. However, most of the separations he attributes to Mrs. Belding. He points to a seventeen month period of separation which occurred when Mrs. Belding returned to West Virginia with Robert in order to seek medical treatment for herself. He and his son were again separated for eleven months when Mrs. Belding left Robert with her mother in West Virginia while she returned to Mississippi to pursue a business venture. Even if these separations were caused by Mrs. Belding, the single factor at question here is who was the child's primary care giver in the past. Between the two parents, for a variety of reasons many of which were not of Mr. Belding's making, the record supports that Mrs. Belding was the primary provider of care.

¶ 11. Mrs. Belding's actions were considered by the chancellor. Although Mrs. Belding's parents may have cared for Robert for a long timespan, that does not weigh in Mr. Belding's favor as to this factor.

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Bluebook (online)
736 So. 2d 425, 1999 WL 153737, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/belding-v-belding-missctapp-1999.