Fair v. Davis

787 S.W.2d 422, 1990 Tex. App. LEXIS 1007, 1990 WL 55864
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedFebruary 14, 1990
Docket05-88-01503-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 787 S.W.2d 422 (Fair v. Davis) 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
Fair v. Davis, 787 S.W.2d 422, 1990 Tex. App. LEXIS 1007, 1990 WL 55864 (Tex. Ct. App. 1990).

Opinion

OPINION

THOMAS, Justice.

David Patterson Fair (Father) appeals from an adverse judgment denying his motion to reduce child support and granting a motion to modify the terms and conditions of his periods of visitation. In five points of error, Father contends that: (a) the trial court erred in the instructions to the jury on the child support issue; (b) the evidence is legally and factually insufficient to support the jury’s finding that the visitation periods should be modified; and (c) the trial court abused its discretion in eliminating mid-week visitation. For the reasons set forth below, we overrule all points and affirm the trial court’s judgment.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

Father and Gretta Fair Davis (Mother) were divorced by the entry of a Final Decree dated April 13, 1984. The decree of divorce divided the community estate and the debts of the parties, provided for the conservatorship and support of the two minor children, and set forth specified periods of visitation. An appeal was filed from that order and in settlement of the appeal, the parties entered into an Agreed Order on September 24, 1984. Under the terms of the September 1984 order, Father’s visitation periods were expanded to include, among other times, the right to have the children each Wednesday evening. Father’s child support obligation remained at $750 per month per child with the further requirement that he maintain hospitalization and health insurance coverage on each of the children. The parties engaged in additional litigation in 1985 and 1986 which was the subject of another appeal. In the spring of 1986, Mother filed a motion to modify that portion of the Agreed Order which provided for mid-week visitation. Thereafter, Father filed a motion to modify the support provisions. The motions to modify were tried to a jury resulting in a favorable verdict for Mother. Following the verdict, an order was entered that eliminated Wednesday visitation and continued the previous support decree unchanged. It is from this order that Father appeals.

CHILD SUPPORT

In the first two points of error, Father complains that the trial court erred in: (1) overruling his written objections to the failure of the charge to instruct the jury relative to the Texas Supreme Court’s Child Support Guidelines (the “Guidelines”); 1 and (2) failing to submit his requested instruction informing the jury of the fundamental elements of “net resources.” We find no reversible error in the trial court’s action.

*425 Father’s motion to reduce child support set forth a number of factors forming the basis of his contention that there had been a substantial and material change in conditions. The primary thrust of his argument was that Mother’s ability to support the children had increased due to an increase in her “net resources” while his income and assets had decreased. Father further asserted that his child support obligations should be set in accordance with his reduced “net resources” and the Guidelines.

In connection with the issue of child support, the court’s charge and jury’s response is, in relevant part, as follows:

2. “BEST INTEREST” as used in this charge, means the best interest of the children shall always be the primary consideration in determining questions of possession, support of and access to the children. Consider the circumstances of the parents in determining the best interest of the children.
To answer “Yes” it must be found that the children’s best interest would be served.
3. The duty of parents to support their children after divorce corresponds in a large measure to their financial ability.
* * * * * *
INSTRUCTIONS AND QUESTIONS IN REGARD TO DAVID FAIR’S MOTION FOR REDUCTION OF CHILD SUPPORT
1. In order to reduce child support, you must also find that the circumstances of [children], Gretta Davis or David Fair have materially and substantially changed since the prior order.
SPECIAL QUESTION NO. 3
Should the child support be reduced? Answer “Yes” or “No” No

In reviewing the statement of facts, we note that the attorneys were allowed to go into the nature and purpose of the Guidelines during the voir dire examination. Without objection, Father’s counsel in the opening statement repeatedly discussed the Guidelines and the fact that they would be submitted to give the jury guidance in deliberating the questions presented. Thereafter, the trial court permitted a number of financial expert witnesses to present volumes of complex testimony as to “net resources” and the factors prescribed by the Guidelines in order to ascertain “net resources.” The expert witnesses were able to state to the jury the range of child support which would be appropriate utilizing the formula delineated within the Guidelines. However, upon submission of the charge, the trial court refused to instruct the jury about the Guidelines or to submit a definition of “net resources.” Thus, Father argues that the jury was deprived of proper guidance on the state of the law and in the absence of the Guidelines was deprived of the legal framework essential to evaluate the factors that comprise material and substantial change of conditions. Lastly, Father contends that the omission of the Guidelines’ instruction deprived the jury of the ability to assign proper weight to and assess the credibility of expert testimony. We agree that under the facts of this case, the trial court failed to properly instruct the jury to the extent it failed to submit the definition of “net resources.”

It appears in the first point of error that Father is objecting to the trial court’s refusal to submit an instruction on the general nature of the Guidelines and their function in determining an appropriate amount of child support. This is in fact Father’s argument at the time the charge was being prepared. The record, however, does not reflect that Father tendered to the court a specific instruction in this regard. In one of Father’s “Requested Special Charges,” he includes an instruction as follows:

No. 18. In determining the amount of child support, you shall consider all appropriate factors, including, but not limited to, the needs of the children, the ability of the parents to contribute to the children’s support, any financial resources available for the support of the children and the schedules, guidelines and/or formulas adopted by the Court and provided to you.

*426 (Emphasis added.) The record does not indicate that the trial court ever ruled on this requested “Special Charge” nor is it included in Father’s “Objections to the Court’s Charge.” Thus, Father has waived any right to complain about the trial court’s failure to submit “Requested Special Charge No. 18.” As to an instruction to the jury on the nature of the Guidelines and their function in determining an appropriate amount of child support, Father’s objection is waived because he failed to request a definition or instruction in substantially correct wording. Tex.R.Civ.P. 278.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
787 S.W.2d 422, 1990 Tex. App. LEXIS 1007, 1990 WL 55864, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fair-v-davis-texapp-1990.