Short v. Short

33 So. 3d 988, 2009 La.App. 5 Cir. 639, 2010 La. App. LEXIS 417, 2010 WL 1064713
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 23, 2010
Docket09-CA-639, 09-CA-640, 09-C-416
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 33 So. 3d 988 (Short v. Short) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Short v. Short, 33 So. 3d 988, 2009 La.App. 5 Cir. 639, 2010 La. App. LEXIS 417, 2010 WL 1064713 (La. Ct. App. 2010).

Opinions

MARION F. EDWARDS, Judge.

lijThis protracted domestic matter involves two appeals, an answer to an appeal, and an application for supervisory writs. All matters have been consolidated for consideration in this opinion.1

Pamela and David Short were married on September 7, 1997. Three children were born of the marriage. On February 1, 2006, Pamela Short filed a petition for separation and injunctive relief in which she asserted the parties were married by covenant marriage and that David Short was guilty of cruel treatment of such a nature as to render their living together insupportable in breach of the covenant marriage contract.

Mr. Short filed exceptions of no cause of action and prematurity, arguing that the requirements were not met for contracting a covenant marriage and, therefore, a petition for separation is not permitted under the law. Mr. Short argues that there is no documentation supporting the allegation that the parties entered into a covenant marriage or, in the alternative, that they obtained counseling prior to the filing of the petition as required by La. R.S. 9:307(B). Both exceptions were [^denied by the trial court after a hearing and recommendation by the hearing officer. The trial court set child support at $1,800 per month.

In a separate action, Mr. Short filed a petition for divorce in accordance with La. C.C. art. 102 on May 19, 2006. In that petition, he denied Ms. Short’s claim that a covenant marriage was contracted by the parties. Ms. Short filed an exception of no cause of action, arguing that the parties have a covenant marriage and that Mr. Short’s exceptions to her petition for separation in the prior action were denied. The two matters were consolidated on July 13, 2006.

On December 18, 2006, David Short filed a second petition for divorce asserting the parties did not enter into a covenant marriage and asserting that Ms. Short was engaging in an adulterous relationship. In the alternative, Mr. Short prays for a divorce pursuant to La. R.S. 9:307(A)(1) if it is determined by the court that a covenant marriage exists between the parties.

Ms. Short filed exceptions of no cause of action and vagueness to that petition citing the two actions already pending. The trial [991]*991court denied both exceptions and ordered Ms. Short to answer the petition for divorce within fifteen days. Ms. Short complied with that order, and the matter was joined.

After that, the parties conducted lengthy and acrimonious proceedings involving support, visitation, discovery, and property distribution issues, the details of which are not pertinent to this discussion.

On March 18, 2008, several matters were taken up and decided by the trial court. In a judgment rendered in open court on that day, but signed on July 7, 2008, the trial court found that the parties did not enter into a covenant marriage. The amount of child support was increased to $2,117.82 per month. The court also found that Mr. Short was responsible for 94 percent of the children’s tuition costs in accordance with the provisions of La. R.S. 9:315.6(1). However, based on the 14failure of Ms. Short to notify Mr. Short of the enrollment of the children in Kehoe-France school on the North Shore in advance, the obligation for the children’s tu-itions and other expenses were limited to Mr. Short’s proportionate share of the tuition of St. Christopher School in Metairie for the 2007-08 school year. Ms. Short was found in contempt for failing to notify Mr. Short that she moved to the North Shore and enrolled the children in a new school, but sanctions were not imposed. Mr. Short was not found in contempt for alienation of community funds. Further, the parties were ordered to consult with a professional to help develop co-parenting and communication skills.

Ms. Short filed a motion for new trial on the issue of the validity of the covenant marriage but that motion was denied, and no appeal was taken from that ruling.

Ultimately, on March 27, 2008, the trial court rendered a judgment of divorce pursuant to La. C.C. art. 103(2) based on testimony from Ms. Short that, in August 2007, she and her three children had moved in with Randy Menendez with whom she has a sexual relationship. No appeal was taken from that judgment. After the judgment of divorce, the parties continued the proceedings as to child support and visitation issues and discovery as to expenditure of community funds.

On April 17, 2008, Ms. Short filed a “Rule for Contempt to Accumulate Arrears, for Income Assignment Order, and to Allocate Tax Dependency Exemptions.” Ms. Short asserts that Mr. Short is in arrears on his obligations as to child support and the payment of his proportionate share of tuition expenses as ordered by the court. Mr. Short filed an exception of vagueness to that motion.

On May 7, 2008, Mr. Short filed a “Rule for Contempt, Attorney’s Fees and Costs and to Decrease Child Support,” alleging that the Ms. Short failed to advise him of their child’s First Communion activities in violation of the stipulated | r,agreement between the parties to co-parent the children. Further, Mr. Short asserts that Ms. Short leased a home once owned by the community, but, by agreement of the parties, was transferred to the sole ownership of Ms. Short. Mr. Short alleges that income constitutes a change in circumstance sufficient to support a reduction in child support. Ms. Short filed exceptions of no cause of action, vagueness and prematurity in response to that motion, in which she also asked for sanctions.

On July 7, 2008,2 the trial court ruled that Ms. Short was entitled to interim spousal support from April 15, 2006 until the date the divorce decree was rendered. [992]*992However, the trial court did not set an amount due for interim spousal support. Mr. Short filed an application for supervisory writs in this Court seeking review of that judgment. We denied the writ application on August 15, 2008.3

Mr. Short filed a motion for partial new trial on the issue of private school expenses. That issue was heard and decided on August 4, 2008.4 The trial court granted that motion in part and altered Mr. Short’s obligation to exclude the youngest child, who was not yet in Kindergarten. All other motions for new trial were denied. Mr. Short moved for and was granted an appeal from that judgment.

The proceedings continued in the trial court and, on January 6, 2009, the trial court rendered a judgment ordering Mr. Short to pay $2,540 per month in interim spousal support from April 15, 2006 through August 2007 and, thereafter, $1,270 per month from September 1, 2007 through March 27, 2008 for a total of $50,800. In that same judgment, the amount due was made executory. Also in that judgment, the trial court made amounts of $5,713.32 in tuition for the school year 2007-08 and $6,288.60 for 2008-09 due and executory. Mr. Short moved for a new trial on that judgment.

IfiOn February 19, 2009, Ms. Short filed for a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (“QDRO”) to get funds from Mr. Short’s retirement plan pursuant to the January 6, 2008 judgment. The trial court signed the order for the QDRO on February 19, 2009. On February 27, 2009, Mr. Short filed an ex parte motion to rescind or stay the execution of the QDRO. On May 20, 2009, the trial court heard several matters including the ex paHe

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Related

Dugué v. Dugué
250 So. 3d 1174 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2018)
Beaudion v. Beaudion
83 So. 3d 355 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2011)
Short v. Short
33 So. 3d 988 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2010)

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Bluebook (online)
33 So. 3d 988, 2009 La.App. 5 Cir. 639, 2010 La. App. LEXIS 417, 2010 WL 1064713, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/short-v-short-lactapp-2010.