Nihipali v. Kalaniana'ole Paris Apuakehau

144 P.3d 561, 112 Haw. 113, 2006 Haw. App. LEXIS 247
CourtHawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 7, 2006
DocketNo. 26994
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 144 P.3d 561 (Nihipali v. Kalaniana'ole Paris Apuakehau) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Nihipali v. Kalaniana'ole Paris Apuakehau, 144 P.3d 561, 112 Haw. 113, 2006 Haw. App. LEXIS 247 (hawapp 2006).

Opinion

Opinion of the Court by

BURNS, C.J.

Petitioners-Appellants Künani Nihipali (Maternal Grandfather) and Ipo Nihipali (Maternal Grandmother) (collectively, Maternal Grandparents) appeal from the family court’s1 (1) September 21, 2004 “Order Denying Motion for Post Decree Relief for Expanded Visitation and for Appointment of Guardian Ad Litem” (September 21, 2004 Order) and (2) November 12, 2004 “Order Denying First Amended Motion for Reconsideration”.2 We vacate in part, affirm in part, and remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

BACKGROUND

Maternal Grandparents are the maternal grandparents of a child (Child) bom to Respondent-Appellee Kalaniana'ole Paris Apua-kehau (Father) and Nohealani Sandee Nihi-pali (Mother) on October 15, 1994. On July 3, 2000, Father commenced a family court paternity (FC-P) case. Mother failed to appear at the decisive August 24, 2001 hearing. A judgment entered on September 11, 2001 by Judge Karen M. Radius (1) decided that Father “is the father of [Child]”, (2) awarded Father sole legal and physical care, custody, and control of Child, subject to Mother’s right of unspecified reasonable visitation, and (3) ordered Mother to pay $210 per month for child support.

On December 19, 2002, Maternal Grandparents commenced this family court miscellaneous (FC-M) case by filing a “Petition of Maternal Grandparents for Rights of Visitation” (Petition) requesting, in relevant part:

[Reasonable visitation privileges as follows:
a. one weekend day and night (24 hours) once a month, the particular day to be reasonably determined by [Child]’s parents in consultation with [Maternal Grandparents];
b. 4-hour outings (e.g. 10 am to 2 pm) as follows:
Maternal Grandparent’s [sic] birthdays, March 10th and April 24th Maternal Great Grandfather’s birthdays, February 29th3; and
c. Time to take [Child] to additional education and arts lessons to be reasonably determined by the [Child]’s parents in consultation with [Maternal Grandparents].

Judge Lillian Ramirez-Uy presided at a hearing on January 15, 2003. Although a transcript of this hearing is not in the record on appeal, Maternal Grandparents admit that at this hearing the parties reached an agreement regarding visitation which the court orally approved. In the opening brief, according to Maternal Grandparents, “[t]he details of the agreement were to be worked out between the parties, and counsel [for the Maternal Grandparents] was to submit a draft agreeable to all parties within ten days to the court.” However, in a September 8, 2004 hearing memorandum, according to Father,

the parties reached a settlement of the matter and the terms of the settlement were read into the record. The Court requested that [counsel for Father] prepare the written stipulation and order which was presented to [Maternal Grandparents] and [Mother] for signature. They refused to sign the written stipulation.

In a facsimile dated March 4, 2003, counsel for Maternal Grandparents transmitted to [115]*115counsel for Father a proposed “Stipulation Governing Visitation”. This document set forth a visitation plan for Maternal Grandparents as follows:

2. Communication via correspondence and telephone calls. Maternal Grandparents ... may have unlimited communication and correspondence with [Child] including receiving his telephone [calls], and in addition, are permitted to call [Child] during “reasonable hours”....
3. Maternal Grandparents^] ... initial visitation plan with [Child] shall include:
a) one weekend day and night [twenty-four (24) continuous hours] on the last weekend of each month, the particular day to be agreed upon by [Father] in consultation with [Maternal Grandparents]; and
b) additional outings with [Child], the duration of which will be agreed upon by [Father], in consultation with [Maternal Grandparents]; including, but not limited to, their birthdays, March 10th and April 24th, and maternal great-grandfather’s [sic] birthdays on July 24th and February 29th4; and
c) additional outings with [Child] for education and arts enhancement lessons to be agreed upon by [Father], in consultation with [Maternal Grandparents], and
d) such other visitation and privileges as may be extended by [Father].
In order to facilitate the implementation of this stipulation to provide [M]atemal [G]randparents their rights to visit with [Child], consultation between [Father] and [Maternal Grandparents] to set the specific times, dates and places to pick up, visit with, and drop off [Child] shall be arranged by telephone calls and/or in person in a timely manner with mutual respect and consideration by and between [Father] and [Maternal Grandfather] making all reasonable efforts to ensure that ... [Maternal Grandparents’] visits occur without excuse or unreasonable delay.
[Maternal Grandparents’] visitation and privileges shall be separate and in addition to any visitation and privileges extended to [Mother].

(Footnote added.)

On April 15, 2003, Judge Ramirez-Uy approved and ordered the “Stipulation and Order Re: Grandparents’ Visitation” (April 15, 2003 Order) that had been prepared by counsel for Father and approved by Father, but had not been approved by Mother or Maternal Grandparents. This order states, in relevant part:

1. Correspondence and Telephone Calls. [Maternal Grandparents] may have unlimited correspondence and telephone contacts with [Child] at any time, provided, however, that calls to [Child] are made during reasonable hours.... [I]t is understood among the parties that [Father] shall make all reasonable attempts to ensure that [Child] is available to receive telephone calls from [Maternal Grandparents] from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Hawaii time every evening from Sunday through Thursday....
2 [Maternal Grandparents] recognize that they can do much to minimize any possible negative impact on [Child] as the result of these proceedings. To this end, each of them agrees that they will always support [Child] in having the best possible relationship with [Father] and his wife, Susan Apuakehau (hereinafter “Susan”), they will never disparage, denigrate or belittle [Father] or Susan in the presence of [Child], they will never argue or fight with [Father] or Susan in the presence of [Child] and they will always do whatever they reasonably can to support and ensure that there is as much consistency and continuity as possible in the manner in which [Child] receives direction, guidance and nurturance from [Father] in all areas of his life.
3. [Maternal Grandparents’] visitation privileges shall be as follows: (a) Commencing January 2003, one weekend day and night (24 hours) once a month. The particular weekend day shall coincide with [Mother’s] visitation schedule, if she is visiting, and to be reasonably determined by [116]*116[Father] in consultation with [Maternal Grandparents].

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Noble v. Alis
474 N.E.2d 109 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1985)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
144 P.3d 561, 112 Haw. 113, 2006 Haw. App. LEXIS 247, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nihipali-v-kalanianaole-paris-apuakehau-hawapp-2006.