Elizabeth M. Trammell v. Fletcher v. Trammell, Sr.

485 S.W.3d 571, 2016 Tex. App. LEXIS 1023, 2016 WL 398597
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 2, 2016
DocketNO. 01-14-00629-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by28 cases

This text of 485 S.W.3d 571 (Elizabeth M. Trammell v. Fletcher v. Trammell, Sr.) 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
Elizabeth M. Trammell v. Fletcher v. Trammell, Sr., 485 S.W.3d 571, 2016 Tex. App. LEXIS 1023, 2016 WL 398597 (Tex. Ct. App. 2016).

Opinion

OPINION

Russell Lloyd, Justice

Appellant Elizabeth M. Trammell appeals from the trial court’s order granting appellee Fletcher Y. Trammell’s amended petition to modify terms of a prior final decree of divorce relating to child support and specified parental rights. In four issues, Elizabeth contends that the trial court erred by (1) decreasing the amount of Fletcher’s child support obligation, and (2) modifying Elizabeth’s exclusive rights to make decisions related to their children’s education, and to consent to medical, dental, and surgical treatment involving invasive procedures, and psychiatric and psychological treatment, because there is no, or insufficient, evidence supporting the modifications. We affirm.

Background

Elizabeth and Fletcher divorced in 2011. At the time of their divorce, their children, J.E., F.V., and A.G., were nine, six, and four years old, respectively.

• Under the. terms of the parties’ final decree of divorce, Fletcher agreed to pay Elizabeth $6,000 per month in child support, an amount far above Family Code guidelines, $8,000 per month in spousal support, and 100% of the expenses related to the children’s education, summer camps, and other extracurricular activities. The parties also agreed that Elizabeth would have the exclusive right to make decisions concerning the- children’s education and the independent .right to consent to -medical, dental, and surgical treatment involving invasive procedures as well as psychiatric and psychological treatment of the children. The trial court signed the agreed final decree of divorce on May 23, 2011.

On April 25, 2014, Fletcher filed an amended petition to modify parent-child relationship in which he sought a modification of child support, tuition expenses, and the parties’ rights to make decisions related to the children’s education and to consent to medical, dental, and mental health treatment of the children. In his petition, Fletcher alleged circumstances had materially and substantially changed and that the requested modifications were in the best interest of the children.

•.At the, bench trial, Fletcher, a personal injury;, attorney, testified that his 2011 income of approximately $802,000 .had, by 2013, fallen to $255,014, comprised of his salary ($220,014) and a discretionary bonus ($35,000). Fletcher supported his testimony by introducing his 2011 tax return, and his W~2s, 1099s, and pay stubs for the relevant years, as well as evidence showing that his monthly gross compensation at the *574 time of trial was $20,000. He testified that he did not expect to receive a bonus in 2014 because a substantial verdict he obtained in Arkansas had been reversed by the Arkansas Supreme Court, which would severely impact the rest of his docket.'

Fletcher testified that virtually all of his salary over the past several years had been paid to Elizabeth in accordance with his alimony and child support obligations, and that it had become necessary for him to secure a line of credit in order to be able to continue paying his own living expenses and the $4,000 a month he paid for the children’s private school tuition as well as their extracurricular activities. Fletcher testified that he had exhausted the line of credit and owed approximately $365,000 on the loan. • He also stated that he had reached the maximum- limit on his credit cards, and that his current wife had cashed her retirement benefits to assist with their financial obligations. Fletcher testified that he had attempted to communicate with Elizabeth regarding his financial circumstances on numerous occasions before filing his amended petition but that she had been unreceptive. He further stated that he was insolvent and that if his child support obligations could not be modified he would have to declare bankruptcy.

Fletcher testified that during the pen-dency of the divorce proceeding, Elizabeth had limited his access to the children. Under the terms of the divorce decree, Fletcher sees the children every other weekend and every Thursday and attends their activities on weekends that Elizabeth has them. He testified that his relationship with his children is the best that it has ever been.

At the time of the divorce, the children were in primary grades with the youngest not yet enrolled in school. Fletcher testified that as the children grew older, 1 they would be transitioning into more specialized educational programs and that he would like to be more involved in the educational decisions affecting them. He also testified that he wanted to have input in the decisions- related to their medical, dental, surgical, psychological, and psychiatric care, Fletcher testified that he grew up with a sister who suffers from mental illness and that it was important to him to be able to consent to any necessary psychological or psychiatric treatment that might later arise regarding their children. Fletcher acknowledged that he ha,d no criticism of the decisions Elizabeth had made with regard to the children’s education or other needs. However, he stated that he believed that it was in the children’s best interest that both parents share in making those decisions, and, if he and Elizábeth shared in the decisions as well as the resulting costs, both parents would have the incentive to consider the fiscal realities of those decisions.

Elizabeth testified that- she is a licensed attorney but has never practiced law and has not worked outside of the home since their first child was born in 2002. She testified that she has periodically looked for a job but had not secured employment since the divorce. Elizabeth stated that all three children attend school during the day and that it was best for her to be around them rather than working outside of the home. She acknowledged that Fletcher had informed her on several occasions prior to filing suit that he was strained financially and would not be able to continue meeting his obligations under the decree but that she was not willing to *575 modify his child support obligation. Elizabeth testified that while she did not want Fletcher to go into debt, he had agreed to the financial obligations, and she believed that it was in the children’s best interest to “get their money.”

At the conclusion of trial, the trial court stated that the evidence reflected a material and substantial change in circumstances and that modification of the agreed final divorce decree was in the best interest of the children. In its June 30, 2014 order, the trial court (1) decreased Fletcher’s monthly child support obligation fi’om $6,000 to $2,565, in accordance with statutory child support guidelines; (2) ordered that Fletcher and Elizabeth pay 60% and 40%, respectively, of the expenses' related to the children’s education; and (3) modified the parties’ conservatorship rights to share in the decision-making related to the children’s education and the consent to medical, dental and surgical care involving invasive procedures as well as psychological and psychiatric treatment. Under the order, Fletcher remained obligated' to pay $8,000 per month in spousal support as well as 100% of the expenses related to the children’s summer camps and extracurricular activities. The trial court signed its findings of fact and conclusions of law on October 3, 2014.

Standard of Review

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
485 S.W.3d 571, 2016 Tex. App. LEXIS 1023, 2016 WL 398597, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/elizabeth-m-trammell-v-fletcher-v-trammell-sr-texapp-2016.