In Re The Marriage Of: Josephene Choi v. Nathan Choi

CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedApril 24, 2017
Docket74569-7
StatusUnpublished

This text of In Re The Marriage Of: Josephene Choi v. Nathan Choi (In Re The Marriage Of: Josephene Choi v. Nathan Choi) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re The Marriage Of: Josephene Choi v. Nathan Choi, (Wash. Ct. App. 2017).

Opinion

FILED COURT OF APPEALS OW STATE OF VIASHIUGTON

2017 APR 24 Ail 9: 1 8

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON DIVISION ONE

In the Matter of the Marriage of No. 74569-7-1 JOSEPHENE CHOI,

Respondent, UNPUBLISHED OPINION and

NATHAN CHOI,

Appellant. FILED: April 24, 2017

SCHINDLER, J. — Nathan Choi challenges the parenting plan, denial of the motion

for relocation, and division of property. We affirm in all respects.

Nathan and Josephene Choi met in 1996 while Nathan was a law student at the

University of Hawaii.1 Nathan and Josephene married on May 5, 1997. Nathan

graduated from law school in 1999. Nathan practiced law in Honolulu. Nathan focused

on immigration law and also engaged in extensive "business dealings" with clients.

Josephene worked as an administrative assistant and paralegal in his law office.

Nathan and Josephene had three children. A son, J.E.C., born in 2002; and two

daughters, H.H.Y.C., born in 2004, and H.Y.U.C., born in 2007.

1 We refer to the parties by their first names for purposes of clarity and mean no disrespect by doing so. No. 74569-7-1/2

Nathan and Josephene purchased five condominiums in Honolulu and an

apartment in Seoul, South Korea. In 2008, Nathan and Josephene purchased a

commercial building in Tacoma, Washington,for $1.4 million.

In 2009, Nathan and Josephene decided to move to Bellevue, Washington. The

couple purchased a house in Bellevue. Nathan and Josephene also purchased two

condominiums in Bellevue. Nathan and Josephene enrolled their three children in

school. Josephene played a larger role as the caregiver for the three children. Nathan

obtained a license to practice law in Washington and practiced immigration law. They

later sold one of the Bellevue condominiums.

On December 12, 2014, Nathan and Josephene filed a joint petition for

dissolution of the marriage. Nathan prepared pleadings. The pleadings "greatly

compromise[d][Josephene's] property rights and expressly forfeit[ed] her parental

rights." The petition for dissolution of the marriage stated the parties "already divided

and separated their assets." The parenting plan stated, "'Father shall have all parental

rights of children. Mother shall have no parental rights.'" Josephene moved into the

Bellevue condominium. Nathan stayed with the children in the Bellevue house.

Josephene retained an attorney and on February 18, 2015, filed an "Amended

Petition for Dissolution of Marriage" and an amended parenting plan. Josephene asked

the court to appoint a guardian ad litem (GAL)and enter a restraining order against

Nathan. In opposition, Nathan filed a declaration accusing Josephene of "physically

abus[ing] the children."

On March 12, a superior court commissioner entered an order appointing a GAL.

The order states the children will remain with Nathan pending the GAL report. The

2 No. 74569-7-1/3

order gives Josephene unsupervised residential time with the children every other

weekend. The order states neither parent shall "use physical discipline on the children."

On May 18, Nathan filed a "Notice of Intended Relocation of Children." Nathan

stated he wanted to relocate to Hawaii with the children. According to Nathan, the

relocation gives him "the best opportunity and support to practice law."

Josephene objected to the relocation. Josephene asserted the request to

relocate the children was "not brought in good faith." Josephene argued that based on

the RCW 26.09.520 factors, "the detrimental effects of allowing the children to move

with the relocating person outweigh the benefits of the move to the children and the

relocating person." Josephene states the children "are enrolled in wonderful schools.

Our daughters are in a gifted program, and our son was able to enter International

School, where the curriculum and teachers are among the best in the country."

Josephene states, "The children are flourishing in their present environment at school."

Josephene asserts,"A relocation to Hawaii, away from me, would be devastating for the

children." According to Josephene, although Nathan "could make a great deal of money

practicing law," he "chooses not to practice any more" and there is "no advantage to his

moving to Hawaii for business reasons."

The GAL issued a report and addressed the motion to relocate. The GAL

concluded, "Nathan's overriding interest" in relocating "has been himself and not his

children."

Nathan claims to be a religious person whose primary interest has been and is the children and their education. His statements ring hollow. For example, the children are enrolled in the highly rated Bellevue School District. Both before and at the beginning of this divorce process, Nathan was anxious to take the children and return to Hawaii to live. He prefers the weather in Hawaii and professes to dislike the Pacific

3 No. 74569-7-1/4

Northwest. He claims the children can have as good an education or better in Hawaii. But that would require enrolling the children in very expensive private schools. It is my opinion that Nathan's overriding interest has been himself and not his children.

The GAL concluded the "overriding concern about Josephene" is a history of

physically disciplining the children. The GAL states that all three children told him that

Josephene "hit" or "spanked" them. The GAL states Josephene "denied the extent of

the physical abuse of the children" and said she was "simply disciplining the children

more strictly than American parents."

In the report, the GAL states Department of Social and Health Services social

worker Anna Pennington told him that the children "feel safe with their mother and that

there is no current physical abuse occurring."

Ms. Pennington related that Nathan keeps telling her that the children say that they are abused by their mother. Ms. Pennington told me that the children were frustrated with Nathan about him attempting to lead the discussion when she visited their home. Contrary to what Nathan had told me, Ms. Pennington indicated that the kids never told her that they are afraid of their mother. ... She also related that when she spoke with the children in mid-August they reported that they feel safe with their mother and that there is no current physical abuse occurring with either their mother or father.

The GAL concluded it was "difficult" for him "to know after speaking with each

parent whether the physical disciplining of the children was more than just parental

disciplining of the children." The GAL recommended that neither parent "use corporal

punishment or physically discipline the children." The GAL recommended that "pending

the completion of the 2015-2016 school year," the children "continue to reside with their

father" and "reside with their mother on alternate weekends."

4 No. 74569-7-1/5

Nathan, Josephene, and the GAL testified during the four-day trial on the

dissolution and motion to relocate. The court admitted into evidence a number of

exhibits.

Nathan testified that Josephene was "very abusive" and often hit the children to

discipline them. According to Nathan, he "can't be a lawyer" in Washington because he

did not "know the laws here" and the civil rules were "completely different." The court

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