Jason Stanke v. Nichole Schmitt

CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 13, 2025
Docket25A-DC-00555
StatusPublished

This text of Jason Stanke v. Nichole Schmitt (Jason Stanke v. Nichole Schmitt) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jason Stanke v. Nichole Schmitt, (Ind. Ct. App. 2025).

Opinion

IN THE

Court of Appeals of Indiana FILED Jason Stanke, Nov 13 2025, 8:58 am

Appellant-Respondent CLERK Indiana Supreme Court Court of Appeals and Tax Court

v.

Nichole Schmitt, Appellee-Petitioner

November 13, 2025 Court of Appeals Case No. 25A-DC-555 Appeal from the Hendricks Superior Court The Honorable Kathryn M. Kuehn, Judge Trial Court Cause No. 32D01-2010-DC-593

Opinion by Judge Kenworthy Judges Bailey and Tavitas concur.

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 25A-DC-555| November 13, 2025 Page 1 of 18 Kenworthy, Judge.

Case Summary [1] Jason Stanke (“Father”) appeals the trial court’s order modifying his child

support obligation for the two children he shares with his ex-spouse Nichole

Schmitt (“Mother”). Father presents two issues for our review, which we

expand and restate as the following three:

1. Did the trial court clearly err by excluding from Mother’s income the child support she receives for a prior-born child?

2. Did the trial court clearly err by not including in-kind contributions from Mother’s spouse when calculating her income?

3. Did the trial court clearly err by deviating from the parties’ stipulation as to Father’s income?

[2] We discern no error in the trial court’s calculation of Mother’s weekly gross

income, but the trial court erred when it deviated from the parties’ stipulation

and recalculated Father’s income. Accordingly, we affirm in part, reverse in

part, and remand for recalculation of the parties’ child support obligations.

Facts and Procedural History [3] Father and Mother’s marriage was dissolved in 2013. They share joint legal

and physical custody of their two teenaged children (“Children”) and observe a

2-2-5-5 parenting time schedule. In 2021, the trial court entered an agreed child

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 25A-DC-555| November 13, 2025 Page 2 of 18 support modification order obligating Father to pay $250 per week for support

of Children.

[4] In May 2024, Father moved to modify his child support obligation. The trial

court held a hearing on the motion in January 2025 at which Father and

Mother testified. At the outset, the parties stipulated Father’s weekly gross

income is $3,173 and his weekly child support obligation for his prior born

child(ren) is $281. 1 The parties also stipulated Mother has one subsequent born

child, the parties have no daycare costs for Children, the overnight credits were

182 for each parent, and Mother’s husband of ten years (“Stepfather”) covered

Children under his medical, dental, and vision insurance plans. 2 That left

Mother’s income for the child support calculation as the “singular issue” in

dispute. Tr. Vol. 2 at 5.

[5] Mother lives with Stepfather and their eight-year-old daughter. Mother also has

primary physical custody of an older son from a prior marriage and receives $65

per week in child support for him. As to their household income, Stepfather

earns approximately $160,000 annually. Mother had been a “stay-at-home

mom” for fifteen years, beginning when she and Father were married and

Children were born. Id. at 44. But in February 2024, Mother started working

1 The trial court’s order refers to Father’s prior born children, but Father testified he pays support for one older child. The exact number is immaterial to the resolution of this appeal. 2 The parties agreed not to include any health insurance premiums in their calculations, unless the trial court imputed Stepfather’s income to Mother as an in-kind benefit, in which case Mother reserved the right to request credit for Stepfather’s premium payments.

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 25A-DC-555| November 13, 2025 Page 3 of 18 part-time for $18.50 per hour as an office assistant and events coordinator for

the Plainfield Chamber of Commerce. Mother testified her average weekly

gross income was $518, reflecting a twenty-eight-hour work week. Mother

stated her current employer does not offer her full-time hours, but otherwise

nothing prevented her from working forty hours per week. She would not incur

daycare expenses for her younger daughter if she worked more. She has some

college education.

[6] The parties also testified about their household expenses and lifestyles. Each

parent lives in an approximately 4,000-square-foot house in Plainfield. Both

families have means to travel and make home improvements. For example,

Father installed a pool at his home; Mother put in a koi pond and hot tub at

hers. In recent years, Father spent $30,000 taking his family on a European

vacation. Mother and her family went on an Alaskan cruise that cost $16,000.

[7] Mother introduced a financial declaration prepared in July 2024 showing total

monthly household expenses of $7,078.49. 3 Mother testified her home was in

Stepfather’s name and the mortgage payment was $2,448.67. As to her

paycheck and Stepfather’s income, she testified: “All of our funds go into bank

accounts that we both have access to.” Id. at 63. Stepfather also provided

health insurance for himself, Mother, and all four children in their household,

3 The financial declaration contains both specific numbers—such as $299.43 for electricity—and what appear to be general estimates—such as $1,000 for food/household supplies/laundry/cleaning. Ex. Vol. 3 at 4. It does not indicate a percentage paid by Mother versus Stepfather or assign a value of benefit received per household member.

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 25A-DC-555| November 13, 2025 Page 4 of 18 for a bi-weekly cost of $375.50. Mother acknowledged she relied on Stepfather

for her lifestyle.

[8] Father stated he works as an IT consultant making $165,000 per year. His wife

(“Stepmother”) is a realtor, earning up to $100,000 annually, although her

income varies and in some years was lower. Father said Stepmother’s income

is used to pay their household expenses “[t]o some degree,” and Stepmother

owns their house outright. Id. at 36. Mother’s counsel also elicited testimony

that Father earns an annual bonus of $15,000 to $20,000 and the stipulated

weekly gross income was calculated on his base salary, excluding bonuses.

[9] Father requested the trial court impute a total of $3,173 in income to Mother—

the same as Father’s stipulated weekly gross income. His rationale was that

Mother received in-kind benefits from Stepfather which allow her to live a

lifestyle beyond what an income of $518 per week would permit. He believed

this would be fair because “where I’m at financially, I’m able to afford to do

these activities based on my income. So, somebody else who does a very

similar type of activity, enjoys a very similar type of lifestyle, it would be

assumed that they would have to have the same amount of income.” Id. at 25.

He asked the trial court to “essentially zero out any child support.” Id. at 26.

[10] For her part, Mother asked the trial court to use the stipulated weekly gross

income of $3,173 for Father, Mother’s actual weekly gross income of $518, and

exclude their spouses’ earnings and Stepfather’s contributions to health

insurance expenses from the child support calculation.

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 25A-DC-555| November 13, 2025 Page 5 of 18 [11] At the end of the hearing, the trial court took the matter under advisement and

asked the parties to prepare proposed findings and conclusions.4 In an order

issued a few weeks later, the trial court found, in relevant part:

5.

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