Naguib v. Naguib

137 S.W.3d 367, 2004 Tex. App. LEXIS 5690, 2004 WL 1434582
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 28, 2004
Docket05-03-00669-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by63 cases

This text of 137 S.W.3d 367 (Naguib v. Naguib) 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
Naguib v. Naguib, 137 S.W.3d 367, 2004 Tex. App. LEXIS 5690, 2004 WL 1434582 (Tex. Ct. App. 2004).

Opinion

OPINION

Opinion by Justice LANG.

Mona Naguib appeals the divorce decree dissolving her marriage with Latif Naguib. Appellant brings ten issues on appeal complaining, generally, about: (1) the trial court’s appointment of the parties as joint managing conservators of their minor son because the evidence before the trial court established that it was not in his best interest; and (2) the division of the parties’ property. We decide appellant’s issues on appeal against her and affirm the trial court’s judgment.

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

On October 1, 1977, the Naguibs, who are both natives of Egypt, were married in London, England. During their marriage, the Naguibs moved to Toronto, Canada, and became Canadian citizens. There are *370 two children from the Naguibs’ marriage, Sam Naguib, age twenty-two at the time of the trial and A.K.N., a minor male child, age eleven at the time of the trial. In October 1997, appellant moved to Dallas, Texas in connection with her employment. Appellant purchased a house in Allen, Texas. Latif Naguib and A.K.N. followed appellant to the Dallas area. Their older son chose to remain in Canada. In November 1998, Child Protective Services (CPS) investigated allegations of physical abuse of A.K.N. by Latif Naguib. CPS concluded in its report that there was “not sufficient evidence to determine if abuse/neglect did occur ...” and recommended that Latif Naguib attend anger management classes. In December 1998, the Naguibs separated. Latif Naguib returned to Canada and resided with their older son, Sam Naguib. Appellant remained in the Dallas area with A.K.N. 1

On February 25, 2002, appellant filed her Original Petition for Divorce. On July 8, 2002, at the conclusion of the trial, the trial court ordered that: the parties are appointed joint managing conservators; appellant has the right to establish the primary residence of A.K.N.; and Latif Naguib has possession of A.K.N. pursuant to the standard possession order. The trial court also announced that it was going to take under advisement the issues regarding the division of the property. On July 9, 2002, appellant took A.K.N. to Egypt and did not return for approximately ten days, in spite of the trial court’s order that Latif Naguib’s visitation was to begin on July 9, 2002. On August 1, 2002, the trial court notified the parties of its ruling on the property division issues.

Appellant later filed a motion for reconsideration, which the trial court denied without a hearing. Thereafter, appellant filed a supplemental motion for reconsideration as an amendment to her earlier motion to reconsider. The trial court denied her supplemental motion without a hearing.

On February 6, 2003, the trial court entered the Final Decree of Divorce. The divorce decree ordered that the parents are joint managing conservators; ordered standard possession or visitation of A.K.N. by Latif Naguib; required the house in Allen, Texas to be sold and the proceeds divided; and awarded each party the accounts, liquid and retirement, in that party’s name, with the exception that Latif Naguib was awarded 45% of both appellant’s Canadian RRSP 2 and Canadian pension plan from Nortel Networks. The trial court signed its Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law on April 9, 2003. Appellant appeals the Final Decree of Divorce.

II. JOINT MANAGING CONSERVATORS

In her first issue on appeal, appellant argues that the trial court abused its discretion by appointing the parties joint managing conservators of A.K.N., because the evidence before the trial court established that such appointment was not in the child’s best interest.

A. Standard of Review

Conservatorship is evaluated against an abuse of discretion standard of review. Jenkins v. Jenkins, 16 S.W.3d 473, 477 (Tex.App.-El Paso 2000, no pet.). *371 We reverse the trial court’s judgment only when it appears from the record as a whole that the trial court abused its discretion. Worford v. Stamper, 801 S.W.2d 108, 109 (Tex.1990); Gillespie v. Gillespie, 644 S.W.2d 449, 451 (Tex.1982). See also In re N.A.S., 100 S.W.3d 670, 673 (Tex.App.Dallas 2003, no pet.); Jacobs v. Dobrei, 991 S.W.2d 462, 463 (Tex.App.-Dallas 1999, no pet.). A trial court abuses its discretion as to factual matters when it acts unreasonably or arbitrarily. In re M.W.T., 12 S.W.3d 598, 602 (Tex.App.-San Antonio 2000, pet. denied)(construing Walker v. Packer, 827 S.W.2d 833, 840 (Tex.1992)). See also Worford, 801 S.W.2d at 109; Jacobs, 991 S.W.2d at 463. A trial court abuses its discretion as to legal matters when it fails to act without reference to any guiding principles. In re M.W.T., 12 S.W.3d at 602 (construing Walker, 827 S.W.2d at 840). See also Worford, 801 S.W.2d at 109; Jacobs, 991 S.W.2d at 463. A trial court’s determination of the best interest of the child will only be reversed upon a determination of an abuse of discretion because the trial court “is in the best situation to observe the demeanor and personalities of the witnesses and can ‘feel the forces, powers, and influences that cannot be discerned by merely reading the record.’ ” In re N.A.S., 100 S.W.3d at 673; In the Interest of T., 715 S.W.2d 416, 418 (Tex.App.-Dallas 1986, no writ).

B. Applicable Law

Section 153.001 of the Texas Family Code outlines Texas public policy for all suits affecting the parent-child relationship:

(a) The public policy of this state is to:
(1)assure that children will have frequent and continuing contact with parents who have shown the ability to act in the best interest of the child;
(2) provide a safe, stable, and nonviolent environment for the child; and
(3) encourage parents to share in the rights and duties of raising their child after the parents have separated or dissolved their marriage.

Tex. Fam.Code Ann. § 153.001(a) (Vernon 2002). See Lenz v. Lenz, 79 S.W.3d 10, 14 (Tex.2002); In re J.F.C., 96 S.W.3d 256, 293 (Tex.2002). Reviewing courts must endeavor to give meaning to these public policy imperatives as they interpret the family code. See Lenz, 79 S.W.3d at 14. In determining issues of conservatorship and possession of a child, the primary consideration of the court is the best interest of the child. Tex. Fam.Code Ann.

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Bluebook (online)
137 S.W.3d 367, 2004 Tex. App. LEXIS 5690, 2004 WL 1434582, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/naguib-v-naguib-texapp-2004.