In Re: the Marriage of: Shawn Lucas v. Ashley Lucas (mem. dec.)

Indiana Court of Appeals·Decided March 19, 2015·No. 70A01-1408-DR-332·Published

Opinion

MEMORANDUM DECISION Mar 19 2015, 9:58 am

Pursuant to Ind. Appellate Rule 65(D), this Memorandum Decision shall not be regarded as precedent or cited before any court except for the purpose of establishing the defense of res judicata, collateral estoppel, or the law of the case.

ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT ATTORNEY FOR APPELLEE Angela Field Trapp Nicole A. Zelin Trapp Law, LLC Pritzke & Davis, LLP Indianapolis, Indiana Greenfield, Indiana

IN THE

COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA

In Re: the Marriage of: March 19, 2015 Court of Appeals Cause No.

Shawn Lucas, 70A01-1408-DR-332 Appeal from the Rush Circuit Court Appellant, Cause No. 70C01-1105-DR-230 v. The Honorable David E. Northam, Judge

Ashley Lucas, Appellee.

Barnes, Judge.

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 70A01-1408-DR-332 | March 19, 2015 Page 1 of 19

Case Summary

[1] Shawn Lucas (“Father”) appeals the trial court’s modification of custody in favor of Ashley Lucas (“Mother”) and denial of Father’s motion to correct error. We affirm.

Issues

[2] Father raises several issues, which we consolidate and restate as:

I. whether the trial court abused its discretion by modifying legal and physical custody;

II. whether the trial court abused its discretion by suspending Father’s right of first refusal; and

III. whether the trial court abused its discretion regarding the parenting time awarded to Father.

[3] Mother argues that Father’s appeal should be dismissed as untimely.

Facts

[4] Father and Mother were married and had one child, W.L, who was born in

February 2010. In May 2011, a petition for dissolution of marriage was filed, and the marriage was dissolved in October 2011. At that time, the parties agreed to joint legal and physical custody of W.L. The parties agreed that each parent would have parenting time with W.L. “every other day and night.” Appellant’s App. p. 14. The parties also agreed that “when the minor child attends pre-school, the parties agree that there shall be a hearing with regards to custody, parenting visitation, and support at that time.” Id. at 15. Both Mother

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 70A01-1408-DR-332 | March 19, 2015 Page 2 of 19 and Father lived in Rushville and worked nights. The parties did not follow the dissolution decree’s every-other-day parenting time schedule because of their unusual work schedules.

[5] In May 2012, Father moved from Rushville to Indianapolis. The parties attempted to maintain their parenting time arrangement despite the forty-five minute drive between Rushville and Indianapolis. However, the arrangement became contentious. In January 2013, Mother filed a petition to modify custody and child support. Mother alleged that Father had moved, that Father’s work schedule had changed, and that W.L. was in developmental and speech therapy. According to Mother, a modification of custody was in W.L.’s best interest, and the current joint legal and physical custody arrangement was no longer practical. Mother also filed a petition for contempt, alleging that Father had failed to file a Notice of Intent to Relocate prior to moving to Indianapolis and that Father had failed to pay his portion of uninsured healthcare costs and childcare costs.

[6] In March 2013, Father filed a response to Mother’s petition for contempt, a petition for contempt against Mother, and a request for modification of custody. Father alleged that, since January 1, 2013, Mother had been “refusing to allow Father to see their son pursuant to the [established] visitation schedule,” and that Mother had failed to reimburse him for half of his health insurance premiums. Appellant’s App. pp. 22-23. Mother then filed another petition for contempt, alleging that Father was denying her parenting time.

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 70A01-1408-DR-332 | March 19, 2015 Page 3 of 19

[7] In June 2013, Father filed another petition for contempt, alleging that Mother had wrongfully enrolled W.L. in preschool without Father’s consent. The trial court held a hearing and preliminarily ordered that the parties would continue to share joint physical and legal custody and revised the parenting time schedule with alternating weeks of parenting time and mid-week overnight visits with the other parent. The trial court ordered that W.L. would attend preschool at Rushville Elementary School, ordered mediation, and appointed a guardian ad litem if mediation was unsuccessful.

[8] Mediation was unsuccessful, and the guardian ad litem prepared a report in December 2013, and the trial court held hearings on the modification and contempt petitions in December 2013 and January 2014. The trial court found:

4. Former Husband’s relocation to Indianapolis was a change in circumstance so substantial and continuing it made the physical custody/parenting time agreement unreasonable and adverse to the best interests of the minor child.

5. The parties have been unable to agree on a reasonable modification of parenting time even with the assistance of mediation.

6. The parties appear to be loving parents when dealing directly with the minor child; however when dealing with each other, both parents have put their own preferences and agendas above the best interests of the child.

7. Former Wife has not given Former Husband the kind of input that would be anticipated in a situation of Joint Legal Custody.

Former Husband’s position as noted by his testimony that a hearing should have been held prior to [W.L’s] enrollment in preschool is certainly an option but at the least inconsistent with the spirit of Joint Legal Custody.

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 70A01-1408-DR-332 | March 19, 2015 Page 4 of 19 8. Former Husband’s efforts to enforce the terms of the decree emphasized the process more than the possible adverse affects [sic] on the child.

9. Former Wife’s attitude has contributed to the problems of the parties, but her actions have not usually had the potential negative effects on the child to the degree of Former Husband’s actions.

10. The work schedules of the parties have complicated the parenting time issues, but it is the parents’ own issues that have prevented a resolution to the problem.

11. The parties can no longer communicate and cooperate adequately to allow the parties to have joint legal custody.

12. It is in the best interests of the child that Former Wife will have sole legal custody of said minor child.

*****

15. Former Wife will give Former Husband an opportunity to participate in all relevant decisions for the minor child and will give due consideration to any suggestions of Former Husband.

Exchanges under this paragraph shall be made by e-mail.

16. Former Wife shall have sole physical custody of the minor child subject to the parenting time schedule set out in this order.

Appellant’s App. pp. 5-6. Although the trial court awarded Mother sole

physical custody, the parenting time schedule was “set up to allow each parent close to equal time with the child, subject to the child’s evolving school schedules.” Id. at 7. The trial court also found: “Due to the parties’ unique work schedules, the nearly equal division of parenting time, [W.L.’s] current school schedule and [W.L’s] need for a structured consistent schedule the first right of refusal is suspended.” Id.

[9] The trial court also ruled on Father’s petitions for contempt. The trial court denied the petitions except that it found Mother “in contempt of Court for not Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 70A01-1408-DR-332 | March 19, 2015 Page 5 of 19 allowing Former Husband to have input on the issue of preschool enrollment contemplated by the status of joint legal custody.” Id. at 11. Although the trial court believed “Former Wife’s actions are contributing to an atmosphere that is unhealthy and not in the child’s best interests,” the trial court imposed no further sanctions. Id.

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