Polich v. Polich

CourtCourt of Appeals of Arizona
DecidedJanuary 7, 2025
Docket1 CA-CV 24-0098-FC
StatusUnpublished

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

Bluebook
Polich v. Polich, (Ark. Ct. App. 2025).

Opinion

NOTICE: NOT FOR OFFICIAL PUBLICATION. UNDER ARIZONA RULE OF THE SUPREME COURT 111(c), THIS DECISION IS NOT PRECEDENTIAL AND MAY BE CITED ONLY AS AUTHORIZED BY RULE.

IN THE ARIZONA COURT OF APPEALS DIVISION ONE

In re the Marriage of:

NICHOLAS POLICH, Petitioner/Appellant,

v.

MICHELLE POLICH, Respondent/Appellee.

No. 1 CA-CV 24-0098 FC FILED 01-07-2025

Appeal from the Superior Court in Maricopa County No. FC2018-090462 The Honorable Quintin H. Cushner, Judge

AFFIRMED

COUNSEL

Harmon Law Office, Tempe By Emile J. Harmon Counsel for Petitioner/Appellant

Ryan Rapp Pacheco Sorenson PLC, Phoenix By Lesli M. H. Sorenson, Christopher T. Rapp, Teri D. McCall Counsel for Respondent/Appellee POLICH v. POLICH Decision of the Court

MEMORANDUM DECISION

Judge Andrew M. Jacobs delivered the decision of the Court, in which Presiding Judge Maria Elena Cruz and Judge Samuel A. Thumma joined.

J A C O B S, Judge:

¶1 Nicholas Polich (“Father”) appeals the superior court’s Order for Legal Decision Making, Parenting Time and Child Support (the “Order”) modifying Michelle Stevens’ (“Mother”) and Father’s parenting obligations and its judgment awarding attorneys’ fees and costs to Mother. Because the superior court did not abuse its discretion, we affirm.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

A. Mother and Father Divorce.

¶2 Mother and Father have two minor children, O.P., born in 2015, and Q.P., born in 2016. In April 2018, Mother and Father entered into a Consent Decree of Dissolution, in which they agreed to joint custody, equal parenting time, and joint legal decision-making (“the 2018 Decree”). Since the decree, however, the matter has turned into a high-conflict proceeding, resulting in more than 550 separate entries in the superior court file.

¶3 In 2019, both Mother and Father filed competing petitions. Mother sought to enforce the 2018 Decree regarding educational decisions for O.P., while Father sought to modify the same. The parties then reached a Rule 69 Agreement, which changed their equal parenting time schedule. The court entered a stipulated order in October 2020, under which O.P. and Q.P. would remain at their current preschool until they could enroll in kindergarten at a specified school (“Specified School”), where they would remain until the sixth grade.

B. Mother and Father Disagree on the Children’s Education and Father Obtains an Order of Protection.

¶4 In January 2021, Mother and Father discussed Q.P.’s enrollment in kindergarten. Father wanted him to enter kindergarten early, but Mother did not. Q.P. took an entrance exam that qualified him for kindergarten, though not at the Specified School. In March 2021, Father

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filed a Request for Post-Decree Mediation, seeking sole legal decision- making or final say. Father alleged O.P. was being bullied at school. Mother and Father disagreed on how to handle the situation and failed to reach an agreement.

¶5 Also in March, Father obtained an Order of Protection against Mother because she placed a tracking device on his vehicle. Mother was served with the order in April 2021. Mother was also arrested for tracking Father. After Mother pled guilty to misdemeanor harassment and completed a diversion program, the charges were dismissed.

C. Father and Mother File Competing Petitions Concerning Legal Decision-Making and Parenting Time and Agree to a Comprehensive Family Evaluation.

¶6 In July 2021, Father petitioned the court to request sole legal decision-making and that he receive all parenting time. He also then filed an emergency motion seeking sole legal decision-making as a result of Mother’s tracking, which the court denied. In November 2021, Father again moved for sole legal decision-making, then alleging that Mother and her father were sexually abusing the children. The court granted that motion and, after an evidentiary hearing, in which a Department of Child Safety Agent testified, awarded Father temporary sole legal decision-making and Mother supervised parenting time (“Temporary Orders”). The superior court acknowledged DCS was investigating the allegations. In December 2021, Mother responded to Father’s petition, denying his allegations and counter-petitioning to seek sole legal decision-making.

¶7 Meanwhile, the parties agreed to a Comprehensive Family Evaluation (“CFE”) by Dr. David Weinstock. In February 2022, the court appointed Dr. David Weinstock to conduct the CFE, ordering that costs be shared equally subject to reallocation. The same month, Father filed a Motion for Reconsideration of the appointment of Dr. Weinstock, which was denied. Dr. Weinstock sought to speak with the prosecutor and victim’s advocate in Mother’s criminal case related to her tracking of Father. Over the course of the next few months, Dr. Weinstock requested status conferences given Father’s unwillingness to participate in the CFE. Father ultimately moved to terminate the CFE process. Mother opposed that motion, and the court denied it, continuing the CFE.

3 POLICH v. POLICH Decision of the Court

D. Father Enrolls O.P. in a Different School and Mother and Father File Additional Petitions.

¶8 In April 2022, Father enrolled O.P. in a gifted school, relying on his temporary sole legal decision-making authority under the Temporary Orders. He then moved to change O.P.’s school from the Specified School to the gifted school. The court denied Father’s motion. Father then notified Mother he was going to homeschool the children and not send them to the Specified School. The court then ordered Father to enroll them at the Specified School.

¶9 When Father sent the children on a trip during Mother’s supervised parenting time, Mother filed a petition to enforce her parenting time, also seeking contempt and sanctions (“Mother’s Petition to Enforce”). The court then modified the Temporary Orders to award Mother and Father joint legal decision-making on a temporary basis and to award Mother final decision-making authority regarding schooling and Father final decision-making in all other matters.

E. The Parties Have Discovery Disputes, Resulting in Requests for Sanctions.

¶10 In July 2022, Mother moved to compel Father’s deposition and responses to requests for the production of documents and sought attorneys’ fees and other sanctions alleging Father refused to cooperate in discovery. The court granted Mother’s motion but deferred the fee and sanction issues to trial. In December 2022, Father sought contempt sanctions over Mother’s alleged failure to pay the uninsured portions of certain medical bills. The court also deferred this issue until trial. In February 2023, Mother moved to modify the November 2021 Temporary Orders to give her temporary final legal decision-making authority and sole unsupervised custody. After an evidentiary hearing, the court issued a temporary order affirming legal decision-making as joint and awarding Mother unsupervised visitation. The court again deferred ruling on the request for attorneys’ fees to trial.

F. The Trial

¶11 The court held a trial on July 10-12, 2023. The court heard testimony from the parties, Dr. Weinstock, and Kristyn Alcott, a manager of a parenting time supervision agency. Father testified about the children and Mother. Father testified the children accused Mother and her father of inappropriately touching O.P. Father also testified that Mother had been Googling Father’s and his wife’s names and found their wedding website.

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Father discussed Mother’s arrest for surveillance and harassment. Additionally, Father testified O.P.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
Polich v. Polich, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/polich-v-polich-arizctapp-2025.