Solie v. Solie

561 P.2d 443, 172 Mont. 132, 1977 Mont. LEXIS 724
Montana Supreme Court·Decided March 10, 1977·No. 13110·Published·Cited by 15 cases

Opinions

MR. JUSTICE'DALY

delivered the opinion of the Court.

This is an appeal by Robert L. Solie, the father, from a final modified judgment of the district court, Musselshell County, denying his request for increased visitation rights with his minor child Peter and granting the cross-petition of Muriel Solie, the mother, for reduction of Robert’s visitation rights, increase of support and attorney fees.

Muriel was granted a divorce from Robert on February 3, 1969. The decree incorporated a property settlement agreement whereby Muriel received Robert’s interest in the family home, subject to a mortgage, alimony in the amount of $250 per month through September 1, 1971, support of $100 per month for each of the two minor children, Suzanne age 9 years and Peter age 2 years, attorney fees, the family car and satisfaction of all other obligations of the parties. In addition, Robert agreed to maintain a policy of life insurance of $50,000 upon his life with the children as beneficiaries.

Robert Solie is a 39 year old insurance man with supervisory duties that require his absence from home several days a week. [134]*134His new wife Ann is a school teacher and together they have an income of $33,270. They have a 4 bedroom, 2 story home on 10 acres of ground in Emerald Hills near Billings, Montana and can provide horseback riding, sledding, swimming and other activities associated with rural living. Residing in the home are Suzanne, now age 15 (daughter of parties hereto); Jeffrey age 7 (Ann’s by previous marriage); and Jennifer, age 4, the daughter of Robert and his new wife Ann.

Muriel is a 36 year old school teacher with her Master’s degree and working on a Doctor’s by taking several classes a quarter at Eastern Montana College, Billings, Montana. She has not remarried and lives in the small home she obtained in the divorce property settlement, with son Peter, now aged 9 years, the subject of this litigation. Her income is a gross of $11,500 per year, or $680 take home per month for 10 months. She has $400 in the Teacher’s Credit Union saved for expenses during the two months she receives no salary and a bank balance of $70. She drives a 1967 Pontiac automobile. She purchased a TV for the children just last year for $1.00.

Since the divorce in 1969 Robert has failed to meet his financial obligation in regard to support and has been delinquent most of the time. This has created a stormy and hostile atmosphere with several contempt proceedings, numerous execution writs, etc. from 1970 until the present.

On June 21, 1971, the district court found it necessary to limit the visitation rights of Robert after hearing his petition for increased visitation. In its order the court stated:

“ * * * the Court deems it necessary that some firm direction be given to petitioner — defendant’s visitation privileges * * *.”

In December 1973, the court agreed to again approve increased visitation for Robert which wás rewarded in 1975 with a less than straightforward maneuver by Robert to gain full custody of daughter Suzanne. The record further reveals a serious alienation has developed between Muriel and her [135]*135daughter since custody went to Robert, which was evidencing itself during the custodial change.

On January 2, 1976, Robert filed a petition to increase his temporary custody rights with the minor son Peter to include 7 alternate holidays, 6 weeks during the summer in addition to alternate weekends from Friday to Sunday.

Muriel filed her cross-petition January 9, 1976 asking for a $50 per month increase in support for Peter and alleging Peter does not enjoy visitation at Robert’s residence and asked for a decrease in visitation rights to Robert to one weekend a month, rather than the two now in effect and attorney fees in the amount of $350.

The matter was heard on January 12, 1976 and the court filed its modified decree on March 3, 1976. After extensive findings of fact, the court made conclusions of law that the best interests of the minor child Peter Solie, so that there would be no mental or emotional detriment, would be best served by reduction of the visitation right to one weekend per month; granted the increase in child support to Muriel and awarded her $250 attorney fees. From this modified decree Robert appeals.

The issue presented for review is the application of the facts of this case to the Uniform Marriage and Divorce Act, section 48-337, R.C.M.1947, which establishes the statutory standard for limitation of noncustodial parent’s visitation.

The Uniform Marriage and Divorce Act does apply to this matter. Section 48-341(3), R.C.M.1947; Holm v. Holm, . . . Mont. . ., 560 P.2d 905, decided March 2, 1977.

Section 48-337, R.C.M.1947, provides in pertinent part:

“(2) The court may modify an order granting or denying visitation rights whenever modification would serve the best interest of the child; but the court shall not restrict a parent’s visitation rights unless it finds that the visitation would endanger seriously the child’s physical, mental, moral, or emotional health.”

[136]*136Here Robert argues that “The court did not find, nor could it find on the evidence presented, that the current visitation schedule would endanger seriously Peter Solie’s physical, mental, moral or emotional health. Rather the court in Conclusion of Law No. 1 applied the ‘best interest of child’ rationale in concluding that visitation should be reduced. That test is clearly not applicable to a reduction in visitation.”

He further argues this Court has not previously considered or interpreted the language contained in section 48-337, R.C.M. 1947, and cites the Court to a Colorado decision that very briefly alluded to the problem, but does not disclose any evidence in that case. He further quotes from the Commissioners’ Note directed to the “Act” under § 407, 9 U.L.A. p. 509, which is the same as section 48-337, R.C.M. 1947:

“ * * * Although the standard is necessarily somewhat vague, it was deliberately chosen to indicate its stringency when compared to the ‘best interest’ standard traditionally applied to this problem. The special standard was chosen to prevent the denial of visitation to noncustodial parent on the basis of moral judgments about parental behavior which have no relevance to the parent’s interest in or capacity to maintain a close and benign relationship to the child. The same onerous standard is applicable when custodial parent tries to have the noncustodial parent’s visitation privileges restricted or eliminated.” (Emphasis supplied.)

The reference to parental behavior in the Commissioners’ Note is pointed at the Uniform Marriage and Divorce Act § 402 which was not adopted by Montana. The exact pertinent language in § 402 is:

“The court shall not consider conduct of a proposed custodian that does not affect his relationship to the child.”

See: 37 Montana Law Review, No. 1, p. 129.

However, this Court moved away from that type of moral judgment sometime ago. Foss v. Leifer, . . . Mont. . ., 550 P.2d 1309. The standard of physical, moral, mental or emotional [137]*137health used in the Act does not introduce any new concepts into the law as it has existed in Montana for many years.

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Solie v. Solie, 561 P.2d 443, 172 Mont. 132, 1977 Mont. LEXIS 724 (Mo. 1977).

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