in the Interest of T.A.W., L.J.W., M.M.W., J.M.W., Minor Children

CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedNovember 24, 2010
Docket02-09-00309-CV
StatusPublished

This text of in the Interest of T.A.W., L.J.W., M.M.W., J.M.W., Minor Children (in the Interest of T.A.W., L.J.W., M.M.W., J.M.W., Minor Children) 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
in the Interest of T.A.W., L.J.W., M.M.W., J.M.W., Minor Children, (Tex. Ct. App. 2010).

Opinion

02-09-309-CV

COURT OF APPEALS

SECOND DISTRICT OF TEXAS

FORT WORTH

NO. 02-09-00309-CV

IN THE INTEREST OF T.A.W., L.J.W., M.M.W., AND J.M.W., MINOR CHILDREN

------------

FROM THE 78TH DISTRICT COURT OF WICHITA COUNTY

MEMORANDUM OPINION[1]

I.  Introduction

In five issues, Appellant Father appeals from the trial court’s denial of his petition to modify child support, arguing that the trial court abused its discretion by denying his request to reduce his child support obligation.  We reverse and remand.

II.  Factual and Procedural Background

As set forth in the December 2005 final decree of divorce, Father is obligated to pay Mother $6,500 per month in child support for their four children. In April 2007, Father filed a petition to modify the parent-child relationship, seeking to reduce this amount.  After hearing evidence pertaining to the parties’ income and the children’s expenses,[2] the trial court set out the following in its order:

(a) the monthly net resources of the obligor per month are in excess of $7,500.00 (the income from [Father’s] medical practice in 2008 was $476,721.00);

(b) the monthly net resources of the obligee per month are $3,000.00;

(c) the percentage applied to the obligor’s net resources for child support by the actual order rendered by the Court is 35%, reducing as each child is emancipated per statute;

(d) the amount of child support if the percentage guidelines are applied to the portion of the obligor’s net resources that does not exceed the amount provided by section 154.125(a), Texas Family Code, is as follows:

35% = $2,625.00

30% = $2,250.00

25% = $1,875.00

20% = $1,500.00;

(e) the specific reasons that the amount of child support per month ordered by the Court varies from the amount stated in Subdivision (4) are that the children’s proven needs exceed $2,625.00 per month.  The Court finds that the basic general needs of the children are $5,810.00 per month.  The Court finds that the specific proven needs of the individual children are $1,210.00 per month.  The Court finds that the total proven needs of the children are $7,020.00 per month; [and]

. . . .

(g) pursuant to Section 156.126, Texas Family Code, the Court finds that the total proven needs of the children are $7,020.00.  The Court finds that the presumptive award of child support is $2,625.00.  The Court allocates the award of child support over and above the presumptive award, as follows:

$3,875.00 to [Father]

$   520.00 to [Mother].

          The trial court concluded that because Father’s child support obligation was set at $6,500 per month, and because the children’s needs exceeded that amount, it would not change the child support provisions in the divorce decree.  The trial court also adopted the following pertinent proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law:

2.  The amount of child support ordered by the Court is in excess of the amount provided for by the percentage guidelines;

          3.  The Court finds that [Father]’s net income is as follows:

          a.  2005 (year of divorce) – medical practice   $460,933.00

          b.  2008 – medical practice                              $476,721.00;

4.  The amount of net resources available to [Father] per month is in excess of $7,500.00[;]

5.  The amount of net resources available to [Mother] per month is $3,000.00;

11.     The Court further finds that the amounts of support of the children based upon their needs and best interest of the children are as follows:

a.       Basic general needs of the children are $5,810.00

per month as follows:

Housing                                                      $1,200.00

Utilities                                                           $500.00

Food                                                               $800.00

Medications (Uninsured)                                  $100.00

Transportation                                             $1,000.00

Counseling                                                        -0.00-

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Bluebook (online)
in the Interest of T.A.W., L.J.W., M.M.W., J.M.W., Minor Children, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-the-interest-of-taw-ljw-mmw-jmw-minor-children-texapp-2010.