Love v. Love

959 P.2d 523, 114 Nev. 572, 1998 Nev. LEXIS 61
CourtNevada Supreme Court
DecidedMay 19, 1998
Docket29729
StatusPublished
Cited by36 cases

This text of 959 P.2d 523 (Love v. Love) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nevada Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Love v. Love, 959 P.2d 523, 114 Nev. 572, 1998 Nev. LEXIS 61 (Neb. 1998).

Opinions

[574]*574OPINION

By the Court, Shearing, J.:

Appellant Michael E. Love (“Michael”) and respondent Catherine L. Love (“Catherine”) were married on September 17, 1981. Seven months later, on April 24, 1982, a child (“the child”) was born. Two years after the child’s birth, the parties entered into a marital settlement agreement, which was incorporated into a decree of divorce entered on May 22, 1984. Under the settlement agreement, Michael agreed to pay $1,200 per month in child support until the child reached first grade, and $800 per month thereafter. Michael also agreed to pay all reasonable and necessary medical, dental and educational expenses for the child. At.the time of the divorce, Michael was in bankruptcy proceedings.

In December 1993, Michael had blood drawn from himself and the child, then eleven years old, for DNA analysis. A DNA analysis laboratory reported that Michael was excluded from being the child’s biological father.

Michael’s financial circumstances greatly improved after the divorce. In February 1995, Catherine filed a motion to increase child support and for judgment on arrears. Catherine requested that the district court increase child support to $2,000 per month, and order Michael to pay the cost of private school tuition and other educational expenses.

Michael then filed a complaint against Catherine seeking to establish that he had no responsibility to pay child support based upon his allegation that she had fraudulently misrepresented that the child was his. The district court consolidated Catherine’s motion and Michael’s action.

In August 1995, a second DNA test confirmed that Michael was not the child’s biological father. In September 1995, Michael filed a motion for summary judgment to establish that he was not the child’s biological father and to set aside the judgment and decree of divorce insofar as they related to child custody, support and maintenance. Catherine opposed the motion, arguing, inter alia, that a genuine issue of material fact existed regarding [575]*575whether Michael was misled into believing that he was the child’s father. Catherine asserted that Michael was aware of the single occasion on which she had sexual intercourse with another potential father, because Michael had participated.

On February 2, 1996, the district court filed an order denying Michael’s motion for summary judgment. The order stated:

A divorce decree that establishes paternity of a child is a final determination of paternity. Harris v. Harris, 95 Nev. 214, 591 P.2d 1147 (1979). ... In this case, the parties’ divorce decree was entered on May 22, 1984 and established paternity. Thus, the issue of paternity of [the child] is res judicata as to Plaintiff or Defendant in this or any future proceeding.

On November 25, 1996, the district court filed a written order directing Michael to pay child support of $1,800 per month and to pay educational costs including tuition. The district court also granted attorney fees and costs to Catherine. Michael appeals from this order and from the order denying his motion for summary judgment, which resolved his complaint contesting paternity.1

Michael argues that Catherine fraudulently concealed the child’s parentage, and therefore, he is not barred by res judicata from challenging paternity. He contends that he did not challenge paternity during the original divorce proceedings because he had no reason to suspect that he was not the child’s father at that time. Michael also contends that the district court erred in denying his motion for summary judgment because DNA tests prove as a matter of law that he has no legal responsibility for the child.

Catherine argues that the district court properly decided that Michael was barred by res judicata from relitigating the paternity issue. She also asserts that she did not fraudulently conceal the child’s paternity.

It is generally accepted that decisions as to the paternity of a child, litigated pursuant to a divorce decree, are res judicata as to subsequent proceedings between the parties. See Donald M. Zupanec, Annotation, Effect, in Subsequent Proceedings, of Paternity Findings or Implications in Divorce or Annulment [576]*576Decree or in Support or Custody Order Made Incidental Thereto, 78 A.L.R. 3d 846, 853 (1977) (Supp. 1997) (citing cases holding same). Indeed, in Harris v. Harris, 95 Nev. 214, 217, 591 P.2d 1147, 1148-49 (1979), this court stated:

It is generally held that an adjudication incident to a divorce decree concerning the paternity of a child is res judicata as to the husband or wife in any subsequent proceeding .... Here the paternity issue was pleaded, litigated, and determined in the district court at the original proceedings in 1975. The issue was not novel to these proceedings. Respondent was provided the opportunity at that time to present his evidence, and the decision was against him .... We hold that as between the parties a divorce decree establishing the paternity of a child is a final determination which precludes relitigation of the question of paternity.

(Citation omitted.)

However, Michael alleges that he was misled into believing that he was the father of the child. A decision of paternity will not operate as res judicata where extrinsic fraud existed in the original proceeding. Where a claim is fraudulently advanced and that fraud is so successful that the other party is not aware that he has a particular claim or defense, this may be a sufficient basis for equitable relief. Villanon v. Bowen, 70 Nev. 456, 471, 273 P.2d 409, 416 (1954). That which keeps one party away from court by conduct preventing a real trial on the issues is extrinsic fraud and forms a sufficient basis for equitable relief from the judgment. Libro v. Walls, 103 Nev. 540, 543, 746 P.2d 632, 634 (1987); Villanon, 70 Nev. at 471, 273 P.2d at 416; Savage v. Salzman, 88 Nev. 193, 195, 495 P.2d 367, 368 (1972); Colby v. Colby, 78 Nev. 150, 153-154, 369 P.2d 1019, 1021 (1962); Murphy v. Murphy, 65 Nev. 264, 271, 193 P.2d 850, 854 (1948).

In Libro, 103 Nev. at 541, 746 P.2d at 633, a husband did not challenge paternity during divorce proceedings. After the husband paid child support for thirteen months, blood tests conclusively established that he was not the child’s father. The district court ruled that the husband could not raise non-paternity as a defense to a judgment for child support arrearages. Id. This court reversed, noting that the wife’s failure to notify her husband that he might not be the child’s father prevented him from having a fair opportunity to litigate paternity in the divorce proceedings. Id. at 543, 746 P.2d at 634.

Michael did not challenge paternity during the original divorce proceedings. In fact, the district court’s judgment was based upon a stipulation between the parties whereby they entered into a

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
959 P.2d 523, 114 Nev. 572, 1998 Nev. LEXIS 61, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/love-v-love-nev-1998.