Parks v. Parks

914 So. 2d 337, 2005 Miss. App. LEXIS 831, 2005 WL 2981064
CourtCourt of Appeals of Mississippi
DecidedNovember 8, 2005
DocketNo. 2004-CP-01208-COA
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 914 So. 2d 337 (Parks v. Parks) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Parks v. Parks, 914 So. 2d 337, 2005 Miss. App. LEXIS 831, 2005 WL 2981064 (Mich. Ct. App. 2005).

Opinion

CHANDLER, J.,

for the Court.

¶ 1. Kelli Ann Holloway Parks and Larry Stephen Parks were divorced in May of [339]*3392004. The parties reached a settlement on all issues pertaining to the divorce except the amount of equity from the marital home each party was to receive. The chancellor valued the marital home at $130,000, found that the home contained $44,000 in equity, and awarded $10,000 of the home equity to Larry. Larry appeals, raising the following issues, which we quote verbatim from his brief:

I. WHAT IS A LAWYER’S DUTY TO THE PROPER AND FAIR ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE WHEN HE OR SHE HAS REASON TO BELIEVE THAT AN UNREPRESENTED OPPOSING PARTY MAY BE MENTALLY INCAPACITATED OR LACK PULL UNDERSTANDING OF THE LEGAL PROCESS
II. WHAT IS THE JUDGE’S DUTY IN THE PROPER AND FAIR ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE WHEN HANDLING A CASE WHEREIN ONE OF THE PARTIES IS UNREPRESENTED BY COUNSEL AND THERE IS A SUGGESTION THAT PARTY IS NOT BEING TREATED FAIRLY AND/OR THERE IS A QUESTION ABOUT MENTAL CAPACITY AND LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE UNREPRESENTED PARTY
III. DID THE CHANCELLOR ERR IN APPROVING THE PROPOSED “PROPERTY RIGHTS CHILD SUPPORT AND CUSTODY MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT” BETWEEN THE PARTIES HEREIN, WITHOUT FIRST VOIR DIRING THE UNREPRESENTED PARTY, WHEN THE COURT PLEADINGS CONTAINED ALLEGATIONS OF PLAINTIFF/AP-PELLEE’S WRONGDOING WITH RESPECT TO MARITAL PROPERTY, HER FAILURE TO MAKE FULL FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE, HER ADMISSION TO VIOLATING THE COURT’S PREVIOUS ORDER PROHIBITING THE DISPOSITION OF MARITAL PROPERTY PENDING THE LITIGATION AND, THE CHANCELLOR HAS KNOWLEDGE OF A SUGGESTION OF DISABILITY ON THE PART OF THE UNREPRESENTED PARTY
IV. DID THE CHANCELLOR ERR IN FAILING TO, WITHIN 30 DAYS OF ITS FILING, CONSIDER, RULE ON, AND ENTER A WRITTEN ORDER OVERRULING APPELLANT’S MOTION FOR RECUSAL AND CHANGE OF VENUE
V.' DID THE CHANCELLOR ERR IN HIS CONSIDERATION, VALUATION, AND DIVISION OF THE PARTIES’ REAL PROPERTY IN THE ABSENCE OF COMPETENT, CREDIBLE, ADMISSIBLE EVIDENCE

¶ 2. Finding no error, we affirm.

FACTS

¶3. Kelli Ann Holloway Parks filed a complaint for divorce against Larry Stephen Parks. When the parties were separated, Kelli remained in the former martial home in Nesbit, Mississippi, and Larry moved to Memphis, Tennessee. Larry did not hire an attorney to represent him. On March 3, 2004, the parties engaged in a settlement conference and reached a property settlement agreement on the issues of child support, child custody, and equitable division of marital property. Following the conference, Kelli’s attorney drafted the document reflecting the terms of the agreement. The only issue to be decided by the chancellor was the division of equity from the former marital home. The chancellor held a hearing on May 11, 2004, and found that the value of the house was $130,000 with a mortgage balance of approximately $86,000, leaving $44,000 in [340]*340home equity. He awarded Larry $10,000 from the home equity.

I.WHAT IS A LAWYER’S DUTY TO THE PROPER AND FAIR ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE WHEN HE OR SHE HAS REASON TO BELIEVE THAT AN UNREPRESENTED OPPOSING PARTY MAY BE MENTALLY INCAPACITATED OR LACK FULL UNDERSTANDING OF THE LEGAL PROCESS

¶ 4. Larry claims that Kelli was well aware of Larry’s lack of education, lack of understanding of the law, and history of psychological treatment. He claims that Kelli’s attorney was imputed with her knowledge of Larry’s disabilities and that her attorney had the duty to take into account Larry’s disabilities during his communications with Larry. He also claims that Kelli’s attorney deliberately set hearings in forums that he knew would be inconvenient for Larry.

¶ 5. Pursuant to the comment to Rule 4.3 of the Mississippi Rules of Professional Conduct, a lawyer should not give advice to an unrepresented person other than to give the advice to obtain counsel. Kelli’s attorney was obligated to represent and protect the interests of Kelli. His only obligation to Larry was to recommend that he hire a lawyer. The property settlement agreement recites the fact that the agreement was prepared by Kelli’s attorney, that Kelli’s attorney does not represent Larry in the matter, and that Larry should hire his own lawyer to represent him. Kelli’s attorney behaved ethically in his communications with Larry.

¶ 6. Shortly after Kelli filed her complaint for divorce, she filed a motion for temporary custody and child support. This motion was heard in Yalobusha County, nearly two hours away from both DeSo-to County and Memphis. Larry claims that the forum was deliberately selected in order to inconvenience him. However, Kelli filed her complaint for divorce in DeSoto County, she continues to live in DeSoto County, and she hired an attorney whose office is in DeSoto County. There is no evidence to suggest that the forum was selected with the intent to inconvenience Larry.

II. WHAT IS THE JUDGE’S DUTY IN THE PROPER AND FAIR ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE WHEN HANDLING A CASE WHEREIN ONE OF THE PARTIES IS UNREPRESENTED BY COUNSEL AND THERE IS A SUGGESTION THAT PARTY IS NOT BEING TREATED FAIRLY AND/OR THERE IS A QUESTION ABOUT MENTAL CAPACITY AND LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE UNREPRESENTED PARTY

III. DID THE CHANCELLOR ERR IN APPROVING THE PROPOSED “PROPERTY RIGHTS CHILD SUPPORT AND CUSTODY MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT” BETWEEN THE PARTIES HEREIN, WITHOUT FIRST VOIR DIRING THE UNREPRESENTED PARTY, WHEN THE COURT PLEADINGS CONTAINED ALLEGATIONS OF PLAINTIFF/AP-PELLEE’S WRONGDOING WITH RESPECT TO MARITAL PROPERTY, HER FAILURE TO MAKE FULL FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE, HER ADMISSION TO VIOLATING THE COURT’S PREVIOUS ORDER PROHIBITING THE DISPOSITION OF MARITAL PROPERTY PENDING THE LITIGATION AND, THE CHANCELLOR HAS KNOWLEDGE OF A SUGGESTION OF DISABILITY ON THE PART OF THE UNREPRESENTED PARTY

[341]*341¶ 7. Larry claims that the chancellor erred when he failed to act when he knew or should have known that Larry was under duress and suffered from a mental disability. Larry further claims that the chancellor erred when the he failed to ask Larry questions to determine if Larry understood what he was signing when he signed the property settlement agreement.

¶ 8. The day before the chancellor held the hearing regarding the division of equity from the former marital home, Larry’s brother faxed a letter to the chancellor informing him that Larry was being treated by a psychologist and opining that Larry was not competent to understand the proceedings. The letter is not part of the trial record, and there is no evidence that the chancellor or Kelli’s attorney received the letter. “This Court will consider only those matters that appear in the record and does not rely on mere assertions in briefs.” Touchstone v. Touchstone, 682 So.2d 374, 380 (Miss.1996) (citing American Fire Protection, Inc. v. Lewis, 653 So.2d 1387, 1390 (Miss.1995)).

¶ 9. Before the chancellor rendered his decision, he gave Larry the opportunity to say anything he wished. Larry did not raise any issue of mental incapacity, mental illness or lack of understanding of the legal process. Larry said, “I just want it all behind me.” Larry did not make any claims of mental illness or lack of understanding of the law until he filed a motion in the chancery court to set aside the property settlement agreement. Issues that are raised for the first time on a motion for rehearing are procedurally barred. Brewer v. State,

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
914 So. 2d 337, 2005 Miss. App. LEXIS 831, 2005 WL 2981064, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/parks-v-parks-missctapp-2005.