D.C.S.-R. v. P.R.

CourtSuperior Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedNovember 7, 2014
Docket790 EDA 2014
StatusUnpublished

This text of D.C.S.-R. v. P.R. (D.C.S.-R. v. P.R.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
D.C.S.-R. v. P.R., (Pa. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinion

J-A25029-14

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37

D.C.S.-R. IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA Appellee

v.

P.R.

Appellant No. 790 EDA 2014

Appeal from the Order of February 18, 2014 In the Court of Common Pleas of Wayne County Domestic Relations at No.: 398 DR 2011

BEFORE: DONOHUE, J., WECHT, J., and PLATT, J.*

MEMORANDUM BY WECHT, J.: FILED NOVEMBER 07, 2014

P.R. (“Father”), pro se, appeals the February 18, 2014 order that

granted D.C.S.-R (“Mother”) primary physical custody of their son, J.P.R.

(“Child”), who was born in February of 2009. The order also granted shared

legal custody and established a schedule of partial physical custody for

Father.

The record supports the following recitation of the history of this case.

The parties married on October 2, 2004 in New Jersey. On August 8, 2011,

Mother filed for divorce. At the time of filing, Mother lived in Wayne County

and Father lived in Bucks County. Mother has three children from a prior

marriage. On September 1, 2011, Mother filed a custody complaint.

____________________________________________

* Retired Senior Judge assigned to the Superior Court. J-A25029-14

On September 20, 2011, Mother obtained a protection from abuse

(“PFA”) order against Father that provided Father with custody of Child every

other weekend. On November 14, 2011, the court entered an interim

custody agreement that provided for the same custody as outlined in the

PFA. On January 17, 2012, the court entered another interim custody

agreement that outlined the same custodial time.

On March 16, 2012, a court-appointed master began a custody

hearing. Hearings continued sporadically until June 21, 2012. On June 29,

2012, the master issued his report. On July 31, 2012, the court entered a

custody order adopting that report and providing for joint legal custody,

shared physical custody during the summer of 2012, whereafter custody

reverted to the every other weekend schedule that had previously been in

effect.

Much of the custody litigation has stemmed from Child’s special needs.

The parties disagreed about what services Child needs and who should

provide those services. The Early Intervention Program in Wayne County

evaluated Child in 2011 and identified a feeding/eating issue, with an

underlying sensory-processing component. The program established an

Individualized Education Plan (“IEP”) for him and implemented appropriate

services. Child has received occupational therapy relating to his eating

issues in Wayne County. In addition, Child has received bi-monthly

treatment from psychologist Wendy Matthews, Ph.D. Father takes Child to

these sessions because Dr. Matthews’ office is close to his home. At some

-2- J-A25029-14

point, the parties agreed to modify custody to extend Father’s custody

through Sunday night so that Child could attend these Monday sessions with

Dr. Matthews. Although Child was evaluated at Children’s Hospital of

Philadelphia and was put on a waiting list for its Day Feeding Program, Child

was not enrolled the Program because Mother and Father disagreed about

the program. With the exception of Dr. Matthews, Child’s current treatment

providers are located in the Wayne County area.

The parties divorced on July 19, 2013. On September 23, 2013,

Father commenced the current phase of this litigation when he filed a

petition to modify custody and for relocation.1 The trial court held hearings

on Father’s petition on December 10, 2013, and January 24, 2014.

When Father filed his petition, per the standing custody order, Mother

had primary physical custody and Father had periods of partial physical

custody on alternate weekends from Friday to Sunday. By the parties’

agreement, Father also had custody of Child on alternate Mondays so that

Child could attend therapy sessions with Dr. Matthews. When the hearings

occurred, Mother had been living with her parents for approximately one

year. Mother’s boyfriend also lived with Mother, Child, and her parents.

Father had lived in Bucks County for at least three years. The parties’

1 While Father titled his petition as one for relocation, Father actually sought a change in primary custody.

-3- J-A25029-14

homes are approximately three hours apart, and both are appropriate

residences for Child.

Father’s closest relative, a sister, lives in New York City and travels to

Bucks County to visit Father and Child. Father lives near many of Mother’s

relatives, but does not have regular contact with them. Child’s maternal

grandparents assist Mother in caring for Child. Mother’s three children from

her prior marriage reside primarily in New Jersey with their father. Mother

and Child make the six-hour round trip to New Jersey to visit with Mother’s

other children at least once per month.

The trial court found that Child had “made a lot of progress” with the

services he receives, and found that both Mother and Father are actively

involved in Child’s care. Trial Court Order and Opinion (“T.C.O.”),

2/18/2014, at 3. Child attends a pre-kindergarten program in Wayne

County from 12:30 p.m. until 3:30 p.m., Tuesdays through Fridays. Child

also attends the Philadelphia Christian Center Academy every other Monday

when he is with Father. On February 18, 2014, the trial court issued an

opinion and order providing for shared legal custody, primary physical

custody with Mother, and every other weekend partial custody with Father.

On March 11, 2014, Father filed his notice of appeal. He filed his

statement of matters complained of on appeal on March 27, 2014.2 On April

2 Pa.R.A.P. 1925(a) requires that, in Children’s Fast Track appeals such as this one, the concise statement of errors complained of on appeal shall be (Footnote Continued Next Page)

-4- J-A25029-14

25, 2014, the trial court filed a statement pursuant to Pa.R.A.P. 1925(a)

adopting its February 18, 2014 opinion.

Father presents the following questions for our review:

I. Did the trial court err and/or abuse its discretion in relying on and/or in applying the relocation factors of 23 Pa.C.S.A. § 5337(h) to the instant matter, where the parties have resided in two separate counties within this Commonwealth and this Court’s jurisdiction for several years prior to the custody hearing, and where they had been exercising their custodial time in their respective residences during that time?

II. Did the trial court err and/or abuse its discretion in finding factor one of 23 Pa.C.S.A. § 5337(h) neutral as to its application to either Mother or Father, rather than in favor of Father, or in finding factor two of 23 Pa.C.S.A. § 5337(h) in favor of Mother, where said determination was contrary to the determination made in factor ten of 23 Pa.C.S.A. § 5328(a)?

III. Did the trial court err and/or abuse its discretion in failing to give proper weight to factor 7 of 23 Pa.C.S.A. § 5337(h)?

IV. Did the trial court err and/or abuse its discretion in finding as part of factor 10 of 23 Pa.C.S.A. § 5337(h) and/or in concluding, drawing an inference or deduction that a “change” in [Child’s] “routine” may hinder or be detrimental to his progress?

V. Did the trial Court err and/or abuse its discretion in determining that factor 4 of 23 Pa.C.S.A. § 5328(a) and factor 5 of 23 Pa.C.S.A. § 5328(a) favor [M]other, where the testimonial and documentary evidence shows otherwise?

VI.

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D.C.S.-R. v. P.R., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dcs-r-v-pr-pasuperct-2014.