In Re Marriage of Lusby

64 Cal. App. 4th 459
Procedural entryThis page is a short order in In Re Marriage of Lusby. Read the opinion of the Court — 75 Cal. Rptr. 2d 263
California Court of Appeal·Decided June 2, 1998·No. D024029·Published

Opinion

64 Cal.App.4th 459 (1998)

In re the Marriage of ANDREA F. LUSBY and EDWARD W. LUSBY, JR.
ANDREA F. LUSBY, Appellant,
v.
EDWARD W. LUSBY, JR., Appellant.

Docket No. D024029.

Court of Appeals of California, Fourth District, Division One.

June 2, 1998.

*464 COUNSEL

Sharron Voorhees for Appellant Wife.

James S. Gordon for Appellant Husband.

OPINION

HUFFMAN, Acting P.J.

Edward W. Lusby, Jr. (Father), appeals the postdissolution findings and order after hearing of the family court, setting his percentage contribution at 27 percent toward certain add-on expenses for child support of the two minor children of his marriage to Andrea F. Lusby (Mother). (Fam. Code, §§ 4061, 4062.)[1] Mother's cross-appeal challenges the 27 percent figure, contending it should have been 50 percent, and also seeks to reallocate other retroactively ordered child support. We find no lack *465 of jurisdiction or abuse of discretion in allocating the expenses as was done here, and affirm the order.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

The parties' briefs make various representations about the events and agreements leading up to trial. The bare record shows that in April 1993, after a 19-year marriage, Mother filed for dissolution and obtained an order to show cause (OSC) regarding child support. Father, a molecular biologist, was unemployed at the time, and the parties stipulated in June 1993 that the issue of child support would be continued until the time of trial (anticipated to be September 1993), with the family court to reserve jurisdiction to make an order for support retroactive to April 1993.

After several continuances, the matter went to trial in August 1994 and judgment was filed January 25, 1995, and entered January 26, 1995. Regarding child support, the commissioner ordered Father to pay $313 per child (for two children) effective August 1, 1994. Child support arrearages owed by Father to Mother through July 1994 (a 15-month period) were set at $2,400 (i.e., $80/month per child, set according to Father's then unemployment pay of $919 net, compared to Mother's net income of $2,001, with a 20 percent time share factor). The parties agreed that future noncovered medical, dental, optical, and psychological costs for the children, as well as the work-related day care, would be shared equally between them.

Two weeks after judgment was entered, Mother brought an OSC regarding mandatory add-on child support expenses (i.e., for one-half of the 1993 and 1994 child care and unreimbursed medical expenses under section 4062). Her declaration represented that although the trial court (commissioner) had made an award of retroactive child support ($160/month for the past 15 months), it had "failed to make an award of mandatory `add-ons' pursuant to [section] 4062 for necessary child care costs and the children's uninsured health care costs and [the court] requested that these items be presented by way of a post-Judgment Order to Show Cause. Therefore, I am requesting such relief at this time." (Italics added.) These costs ($10,514.02 total) were incurred during the period of Father's unemployment (April 1993-July 1994).

Father's responsive declaration denied that the trial court had requested that the issue of add-on child support be presented by way of a postjudgment OSC, or that Mother had ever presented a request for an order awarding such add-on support before or at the time of trial. Father explained, "The trial in this matter lasted over three hours spread over two days. Judge Clements *466 threatened that there would be a mistrial of the case if the matter was not concluded on the second day after at least an additional one hour of testimony. The parties did stipulate at the trial to share equally the work-related daycare and the future non-covered minor children's medical [etc.] expenses. No mention was ever made of these now alleged expenses at the time of trial. [¶] ... The first time I was ever aware of the requests of [Mother] for these alleged add-ons was when I received the moving papers for this [OSC] from my attorney on February 15, 1995."

Father then requested that if such expenses were ordered to be paid, he should be required to pay less than one-half, due to his former unemployment (and low income of $919/month) during the time the expenses were incurred (April 1993 through July 1994).

At the April 5, 1995 hearing on the OSC, the same commissioner who had heard the trial found that he "clearly" had jurisdiction over the issue of the add-ons, and the appropriate contribution should be on a pro rata basis, 27 percent. The court further found the add-on costs were reasonable. Father's share was calculated at $2,828.78, based on his former unemployment income, even though he currently made more money. The findings and order after hearing reflecting these rulings were filed May 3, 1995. The court denied Father's request for a statement of decision on that issue.

Father appeals the May 3, 1995, findings and order after hearing. Mother timely cross-appeals the same order. (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3(c).)

DISCUSSION

Both Father and Mother contend the trial court erred in setting the amount of add-on expenses payable by Father at 27 percent: Father, because he believes the trial court lacked jurisdiction to award such expenses at any level because the trial had concluded without any such express award, and Mother, because she believes the award should have been higher based on Father's raised income as of the time of the hearing (and moreover that the earlier award of retroactive support in the underlying judgment should be recalculated at such raised income level). To resolve these issues, we first outline the statutory scheme for payment of such add-on expenses and then the rules governing the exercise of jurisdiction over posttrial child support matters, as well as the customary discretion afforded to trial courts in the child support area. We then apply these rules to these facts.

I

Statutory Scheme

Division 9 of the Family Code governs support; part 2 thereof governs child support; chapter 2 of part 2 deals with court-ordered child support; and *467 article 2 then sets forth the statewide uniform guidelines (the guidelines). (§ 4050 et seq.) Section 4055, subdivision (a) establishes the statewide uniform guideline formula for determining child support orders. Section 4061 then provides for additional support for children in appropriate cases, beyond the guideline amount, in the following pertinent language: "The amounts in Section 4062, if ordered to be paid, shall be considered additional support for the children and shall be computed in accordance with the following: [¶] (a) If there needs to be an apportionment of expenses pursuant to Section 4062, the expenses shall be divided one-half to each parent, unless either parent requests a different apportionment pursuant to subdivision (b) and presents documentation which demonstrates that a different apportionment would be more appropriate. [¶] (b) If requested by either parent, and the court determines it is appropriate to apportion expenses under Section 4062 other than one-half to each parent, the apportionment shall be [according to a specified formula.]"[2] (§ 4061, subds. (a) & (b).)

Section 4062, defining allowable additional child support, then provides for either mandatory or discretionary awards as follows:

"(a) The court shall order

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