Dennis v. Smith

962 S.W.2d 67, 1997 WL 675074
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJanuary 2, 1998
Docket01-96-00177-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by46 cases

This text of 962 S.W.2d 67 (Dennis v. Smith) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dennis v. Smith, 962 S.W.2d 67, 1997 WL 675074 (Tex. Ct. App. 1998).

Opinions

OPINION

COHEN, Justice.

Appellant, Linda Dennis (Linda), complains of the provisions in her divorce judgment on conservatorship, child support, and mediation. We reform and affirm.

Facts

Linda sued her husband, Glenn Walter Smith (Glenn), for divorce. By agreement, they were appointed temporary joint managing conservators of MDS, who was then almost four years old. Glenn was given physical possession of MDS for approximately 38% of the year. Linda had possession the rest of the time, had the exclusive right to establish MDS’s legal domicile within Harris County, and had the right to select MDS’s school after conferring with Glenn. The parties stipulated and the trial judge found there was good cause for not ordering either party to pay child support to the other. However, both were ordered to provide MDS clothing, food, shelter, medical care, and education. Later, at trial, the judge found that the “parties operated with no child support either way for two years; they pretty well split things down the middle; Glenn ... has paid all medical expenses and insurance,” and that, the agreed temporary orders that required no support payments had “promoted cooperation between the parties and benefitted” the child.

At trial, the parties waived a jury and agreed to be named joint managing conservators. The judge appointed Linda as the “primary possessory parent,”1 but gave Glenn the exclusive right to establish MDS’s legal domicile and residence in Harris County and to select MDS’s school. Both parents were ordered to support MDS by providing clothing, food, shelter, medical care, and education, but the judge again found good cause for not ordering either to pay money to the other. Glenn was ordered to provide MDS with health insurance. If a dispute arose, the party desiring judicial relief was required to pay for three mediation sessions before suing.

Standard of Review

Trial judges have wide discretion with respect to custody, control, possession, support, and visitation matters involving the child. Gillespie v. Gillespie, 644 S.W.2d 449, 451 (Tex.1982) (custody); Holley v. Holley, 864 S.W.2d 703, 706 (Tex.App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1993, writ denied) (child support). We will reverse only if the judge abused her discretion by acting without reference to any guiding rules or principles or by acting arbitrarily or unreasonably. Worford v. Stamper, 801 S.W.2d 108, 109 (Tex.1990). There is no abuse of discretion if some evidence supports the decision. Holley, 864 S.W.2d at 706.

Rights of Joint Conservatorship

In point of error one, Linda complains the trial judge abused her discretion in awarding Glenn the exclusive right to select MDS’s domicile and school.

In determining such issues, the child’s best interest is the primary consideration. Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 153.002 (Vernon 1996). There is a rebuttable presumption that joint managing conservatorship is in the child’s best interest. Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 153.131 (Vernon 1996). In appointing joint managing conservators, the court shall:

(1) establish the county of residence of the child until altered by further order, or designate the conservator who has the exclusive right to determine the primary residence of the child;
(2) specify the rights and duties of each parent regarding the child’s physical care, support, and education;
(3) include provisions to minimize disruption of the child’s education, daily routine, and association with Mends;....

Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 153.134(b) (Vernon 1996). Ordinarily, the court in a joint managing conservatorship must designate the [69]*69child’s primary physical residence. Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 153.136 (Vernon 1996).2

Linda contends that awarding Glenn the exclusive right to establish MDS’s legal domicile and residence within Harris County requires her to move if Glenn moves, thus making her “nothing more than a nanny serving at her ex-husband’s convenience.” She contends this conflicts with her designation in the decree as the “primary possessory parent.” Linda relies on the following dictum in Leithold v. Plass, 413 S.W.2d 698, 700 (Tex.1967):

Custody of a child connotes the right to establish the child’s domicile and includes the elements of immediate and direct care and control of the child, together with provisions for its needs. These rights inherent in a custody status are not held by one enjoying visitation rights....

Id. (citations omitted). She argues that this language means that because she has “custody” of MDS, she should have the exclusive right to determine MDS’s place of residence.

We disagree. The decision in Leithold is based entirely on common, judge-made law. It preceded the enactment of the Family Code, specifically section 153.131, which makes joint custody the public policy of this state. Under today’s law, Glenn is not “one enjoying visitation rights.” Leithold, 413 S.W.2d at 700. He is a “joint managing conservator.” Both he and Linda have “custody” and legally shared responsibility for MDS. Neither has “visitation rights.”

Moreover, Leithold had nothing to do with the issue before us. The issue there was whether ordering visitation in California for two weeks a year constituted a “change of custody,” as the intermediate court had surprisingly held, or merely a change in visitation. 413 S.W.2d at 700. Naturally, the supreme court held it was a change in visitation, reversed the lower court’s judgment, and approved the change in visitation. Thus, although correctly decided, Leithold is inapplicable.

The Leithold opinion went on, however, to justify itself by describing what “custody” was and by showing how the minor change in visitation did not affect custody. To show that, it stated the dictum quoted above. That language does not change the result here. Joint managing conservatorship “does not require ... equal or nearly equal periods of physical possession_” Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 153.135 (Vernon 1996). Both conservators share joint responsibility for the child. See Tex. Fam.Code Ann. §§ 153.131(b); 151.003; 153.133-.134 (Vernon 1996). That is a fundamental difference from the law in effect before section 153.131 was enacted. The law then considered the non-custodial parent to be one having “only the occasional right of visitation.” Leithold, 413 S.W.2d at 702, n. 1 (Norvell, J., dissenting). The dissent in Leithold

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

Related

in the Interest of Z.J.M.A., a Child
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2022
Andrew Morris v. Carrie Cecelia Veilleux
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2021
in the Interest of T. L. C ., a Child
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2018
Jeffery Dwayne Benoit v. Brenda Faye Benoit
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2015
Fitch, Leanne R. v. Fitch, Carl W.
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2013
Anne Moreland Dorai v. Suri Dorai
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2013
Johnathan Pena v. Lauren Stoddard
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2011
In the Interest of K.L.W.
301 S.W.3d 423 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2009)
In Re KLW
301 S.W.3d 423 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2009)
Robert A. Brendel v. Amanda L. Brendel
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2009
Swaab v. Swaab
282 S.W.3d 519 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2008)
David Lawrence Swaab v. Janie Guerra Swaab
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2008
Mavis Clifton Dunaway v. Susan Dawn Dunaway
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2007

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
962 S.W.2d 67, 1997 WL 675074, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dennis-v-smith-texapp-1998.