Jordao v. Jordao

CourtCourt of Appeals of North Carolina
DecidedOctober 6, 2020
Docket19-858
StatusPublished

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

Bluebook
Jordao v. Jordao, (N.C. Ct. App. 2020).

Opinion

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF NORTH CAROLINA

No. COA19-858

Filed: 6 October 2020

Mecklenburg County No. 18 CVD 14611

CASSIA FERREIRA JORDAO, Plaintiff,

v.

NIVALDO JORDAO, Defendant.

Appeal by Plaintiff from Order for Temporary Parenting Arrangement entered

7 January 2019 and Order for Permanent Custody entered 5 April 2019 by Judge

Sean P. Smith in Mecklenburg County District Court. Heard in the Court of Appeals

3 March 2020.

Plumides, Romano & Johnson, PC, by Richard B. Johnson, for plaintiff- appellant.

Myers Law Firm, PLLC, by Matthew R. Myers, for defendant-appellee.

MURPHY, Judge.

We review custody orders to ensure the findings of fact are supported by

substantial evidence, and the conclusions of law are supported by the findings of fact.

Where unsupported findings of fact do not undermine the conclusions of law, we

uphold the order. Here, each of the custody order’s conclusions of law are supported

by findings of fact that are supported by substantial evidence; therefore, we uphold

the order. JORDAO V. JORDAO

Opinion of the Court

Where a trial court does not find a parent unfit, or visitation with that parent

to not be in the best interest of the children, it cannot deny reasonable visitation to

that parent. Here, Father was entitled to reasonable visitation, and the trial court

did not abuse its discretion in granting him reasonable visitation. The trial court

carefully considered the unique circumstances of the parties and did not abuse its

discretion by granting visitation in Brazil since Father is unable to exercise visitation

in the United States.

BACKGROUND

Cassia Ferreira Jordao (“Mother”) and Nivaldo Jordao (“Father”) married in

Brazil in 2001, and two children were born of the marriage—“Larry,”1 the oldest son,

and “Nicholas,” the youngest son (collectively “the children”). The family moved to

the United States on 27 January 2016 on a six-month tourist visa. After the

expiration of that visa on 27 July 2016, the family remained in the United States

without documentation.

In January 2017, Mother filed for a Domestic Violence Protective Order

(“DVPO”) based on allegations Father assaulted, threatened, and stalked her. The

parties consented to the entry of a DVPO that prohibited Father from assaulting,

harassing, or threatening Mother and gave Mother primary custody of the children.

However, in June 2017, Father was arrested for violating the DVPO by allegedly

1 Pseudonyms are used for all relevant persons throughout this opinion to protect the identities of the minors and for ease of reading.

-2- JORDAO V. JORDAO

stalking Mother at her church. Father claimed he had asked her to meet there to

pick up the youngest son. Based on these alleged acts of domestic violence, Mother

applied for a U-Visa on 13 December 2017.2 After his arrest, Father was deported to

Brazil due to his illegal presence in the country.

Mother filed for divorce from Father on 24 July 2018. On 24 September 2018,

Father filed his answer to the complaint which included a motion to dismiss the

absolute divorce claim due to prior pending proceedings in Brazil and a motion for

child custody and a temporary parenting arrangement.3 On 12 December 2018, a

hearing for a Temporary Parenting Arrangement (“TPA”) was held, and, on 7 January

2019, the trial court entered its order setting out a TPA (“TPA Order”). The TPA

Order granted both parties joint legal custody of the children, with Mother having

temporary physical custody and Father having visitation in Brazil during the winter

and summer school breaks. The TPA Order also required Mother to provide weekly

emails to Father regarding the children and to allow communication between the

children and Father by email, text, and telephone.

On 22 January 2019, Father filed a Motion for Contempt based upon Mother’s

failure to comply with the TPA Order provisions regarding weekly emails and

2 “A ‘U-[V]isa’ is a type of visa available to victims of serious crimes who are undocumented immigrants and cooperate with law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of crimes.” State v. Martinez, 253 N.C. App. 574, 584, 801 S.E.2d 356, 362 (2017) (citing 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(15)(U)). 3 The DVPO had expired in February 2018, so there was no child custody order in effect in July

2018.

-3- JORDAO V. JORDAO

communication with the children. Father also filed another Motion for Temporary

Parenting Arrangement. On 20 March 2019, Mother filed her reply to Father’s

motions and counterclaim for child custody, child support, and attorney fees.

On 20 and 21 March 2019, the trial court heard the parties’ child custody

claims, and on 5 April 2019 the trial court entered an Order for Permanent Custody

awarding Mother primary legal and physical custody of the children and again

granting Father visitation with the children in Brazil.4 The order also set out detailed

provisions regarding communication, decision-making, travel between the United

States and Brazil, and the custodial schedule if Mother were to reside in Brazil.

Mother timely appealed.

ANALYSIS

A. Standard of Review

“In a child custody case, the trial court's findings of fact are conclusive on

appeal if supported by substantial evidence, even if there is sufficient evidence to

support contrary findings.” Peters v. Pennington, 210 N.C. App. 1, 12–13, 707 S.E.2d

724, 733 (2011). “Substantial evidence is such relevant evidence as a reasonable mind

might accept as adequate to support a conclusion.” Id. at 13, 707 S.E.2d at 733.

“Unchallenged findings of fact are binding on appeal.” Id. (citing Koufman v.

4 The order on appeal did not address Father’s contempt motion but expressly scheduled that motion for hearing at a later date.

-4- JORDAO V. JORDAO

Koufman, 330 N.C. 93, 97, 408 S.E.2d 729, 731 (1991)). “Absent an abuse of

discretion, the trial court’s decision in matters of child custody should not be upset on

appeal.” Everette v. Collins, 176 N.C. App. 168, 171, 625 S.E.2d 796, 798 (2006).

B. Challenged Findings of Fact

Here, Mother challenges Findings of Fact 16, 21, 22, 26,5 28, 33, 34, 35, 36, 42,

43, and 44 as unsupported by evidence. Below we address each challenged finding of

fact to determine if it is supported by substantial evidence.

1. Finding of Fact 16

Finding of Fact 16 states:

16. The [c]ourt received testimony from an expert in immigration law named P. Mercer Cauley. While it is possible that Mother may receive a U-Visa, it is unlikely that a decision will be made sooner than Spring of 2023, and it is unlikely that such Visa will be granted based upon the number of application and limits that are currently in place. Although, it is possible that the limits may be increased and she may be successful. Nonetheless, it is unlikely that such a visa will be obtained by Mother that will allow her to stay beyond that point of decision by the federal courts.

(Emphasis added). The first part of Finding of Fact 16 is supported by the testimony

of P.

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Related

Koufman v. Koufman
408 S.E.2d 729 (Supreme Court of North Carolina, 1991)
Everette v. Collins
625 S.E.2d 796 (Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 2006)
Peters v. Pennington
707 S.E.2d 724 (Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 2011)
In Re the Foreclosure by Simpson
711 S.E.2d 165 (Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 2011)
State v. Martinez
801 S.E.2d 356 (Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 2017)
In re A.Y.
737 S.E.2d 160 (Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 2013)

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Jordao v. Jordao, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jordao-v-jordao-ncctapp-2020.