Wilburn v. Wilburn

991 So. 2d 1185, 2008 WL 4427193
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 2, 2008
Docket2007-CA-01385-SCT
StatusPublished
Cited by57 cases

This text of 991 So. 2d 1185 (Wilburn v. Wilburn) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wilburn v. Wilburn, 991 So. 2d 1185, 2008 WL 4427193 (Mich. 2008).

Opinion

991 So.2d 1185 (2008)

Chasity Nicole Smith WILBURN
v.
William Haywood WILBURN.

No. 2007-CA-01385-SCT.

Supreme Court of Mississippi.

October 2, 2008.

*1186 John Thomas Lamar, Jr., David M. Slocum, Jr., Senatobia, attorneys for appellant.

T. Swayze Alford, attorney for appellee.

Before DIAZ, P.J., CARLSON and RANDOLPH, JJ.

RANDOLPH, Justice, for the Court.

¶ 1. Chasity Nicole Smith Wilburn and William Haywood Wilburn divorced on grounds of irreconcilable differences. Their "Property Settlement Agreement" provided for joint legal custody of their two minor children "with [William] having primary physical custody and [Chasity] having reasonable periods of visitation...." Following an agreed modification by the parties increasing Chasity's visitation, Chasity filed an "Amended Petition for Modification of Divorce Decree" in the Chancery Court of Lafayette County, Mississippi, seeking a modification of custody and/or visitation rights. At the subsequent hearing, the chancellor stayed the proceedings and appointed an independent psychologist to interview the parents and children, then report his recommendations. In the interim, Chasity's visitation was increased further by order of the chancery court. Following receipt of the psychologist's report, a hearing was held and an order subsequently entered providing that William would retain primary physical custody of the minor children and reducing Chasity's visitation to essentially that provided for in the original "Property Settlement Agreement." Following denial of her "Motion for Reconsideration," Chasity filed notice of appeal.

FACTS

¶ 2. On April 15, 2004, William and Chasity filed a "Joint Complaint for Divorce" in the chancery court on the basis of irreconcilable differences. The joint complaint further requested that William and Chasity "be awarded joint legal custody of the parties' minor children[[1]]...." On June 8, 2004, William and Chasity filed a "Property Settlement Agreement" providing, in pertinent part, that the couple would have joint legal custody of the minor children, "with [William] having primary physical custody and [Chasity] having reasonable periods of visitation...." Specifically, Chasity would have visitation with the minor children every other weekend from 6:00 p.m. on Friday evening through 6:00 p.m. on Sunday evening; for six weeks during the summer in two-week, non-consecutive intervals; for holidays alternating yearly; and "such other periods of visitation as may be mutually agreed upon between the parties." The "Property Settlement Agreement" expressly added that:

it is understood and agreed between the parties that this Agreement is entered into without undue influence, fraud, coercion, or misrepresentation, or for any reason not herein stated. The provisions in this Agreement and their legal effect are fully known and understood by each of the parties, and each party acknowledges that the Agreement is fair and equitable regardless of any grounds for divorce, known or unknown, that may now or hereafter exist, and that it is being entered into voluntarily....
*1187 It is also understood and agreed that this Agreement stands alone as a contract between the parties and shall remain in full force and effect unless and until modified by subsequent Agreement of the parties or superseded by a lawful Order of a[c]ourt of competent jurisdiction.[[2]]

(Emphasis added). On June 16, 2004, the chancery court entered a "Judgment for Divorce-Irreconcilable Differences" in accord with the "Joint Complaint for Divorce" and "Property Settlement Agreement."[3]

¶ 3. Nearly six months later, on December 12, 2004, Chasity filed a "Petition for Modification of Visitation Rights and For Citation of Contempt," which included the allegation that:

[s]ince the parties' separation before their divorce and prior to entry of the Decree of Divorce, the parties shared physical custody on an alternating weekly basis. [Chasity] was led to believe by [William] that the same schedule would continue, and it did so until entry of the decree in this case.

Chasity maintained that but for this purportedly fraudulent action, "she would not have executed the Property Settlement Agreement and proceeded forward without seeking advise [sic] of counsel." She further asserted that strict adherence to the visitation schedule outlined in the "Property Settlement Agreement" constituted "a material change in circumstances adverse to the best interests of the children warranting modification of the Divorce Decree." William's subsequently-filed answer denied Chasity's allegations. A May 2, 2005, hearing before the chancery court resolved the matter. The following agreement was read into the record by counsel for Chasity:

based upon an agreement between the parties the visitation schedule that is currently incorporated into the Final Decree of Divorce was modified to include visitation between [Chasity] and the two children every Wednesday night. There will also be increased visitation during the Christmas [h]oliday, and also with [Chasity] on every Spring Break. ... [A] part of the agreement is when they are not in school the holiday visitation that is set forth in the agreement will control, that while the [children] are in school it will be on each Wednesday night.

(Emphasis added).

¶ 4. On February 23, 2006, William and Chasity filed a "Joint Motion" requesting "a hearing in relation to unresolved matters stemming from their Final Decree of Divorce." The motion provided that:

[t]he parties were before this Honorable Court [i]n May ... 2005 and were admonished in regard to the same. However, a dispute has arisen in relation to the Court's input. Therefore, the parties respectfully request that the [c]ourt hear testimony and evidence and clearly establish parameters for visitation, contact between the minor children and [Chasity], and related issues pertaining to visitation.

On May 19, 2006, Chasity filed an "Amended Petition for Modification of Divorce Decree" claiming that "[t]he actions of [William] toward his children and [Chasity] *1188 since entry of the last decree in this case constitutes a material change in circumstances warranting modification of custody or, in the alternative, modification of visitation rights." Chasity sought "temporary relief in order to increase the amount of time when the children are in her care and custody and would show the intense anguish and resulting effect of the Divorce Decree warrants the same." William's answer and counter-complaint denied Chasity's allegations; requested that Chasity be held in contempt for allegedly "willfully and wantonly" refusing to reimburse William for her one-half of the children's expenses and declining to return the children to William at the conclusion of her visitation; and added that:

Chasity continues to tell the minor children that they can choose where they want to live once they reach the age of 12 years old. This action and attitude by Chasity has had an adverse effect on the minor children. Chasity has purchased inappropriate reading material and clothing for the minor children. Chasity has encouraged the minor children to lie to [William]. Chasity's actions constitute a material change in circumstances adverse to the health and welfare of the children since the Judgment of Divorce and [William] requests the Court to modify Chasity's visitation....

¶ 5.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
991 So. 2d 1185, 2008 WL 4427193, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wilburn-v-wilburn-miss-2008.