Zazzo v. Zazzo

584 A.2d 281, 245 N.J. Super. 124
CourtNew Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division
DecidedDecember 28, 1990
StatusPublished
Cited by49 cases

This text of 584 A.2d 281 (Zazzo v. Zazzo) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Zazzo v. Zazzo, 584 A.2d 281, 245 N.J. Super. 124 (N.J. Ct. App. 1990).

Opinion

245 N.J. Super. 124 (1990)
584 A.2d 281

LAWRENCE ZAZZO, PLAINTIFF-RESPONDENT,
v.
LYNN L. ZAZZO, DEFENDANT-APPELLANT.

Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division.

Argued October 22, 1990.
Decided December 28, 1990.

*126 Before Judges DREIER and ASHBEY.

Barbara Berman argued the cause for appellant (Barbara Berman, on the brief).

Paul R. Melletz argued the cause for respondent (Paul R. Melletz, on the brief).

The opinion of the court was delivered by ASHBEY, J.A.D.

Defendant Lynn Zazzo appeals from parts of a Family Part order which decreased the child support obligations of plaintiff Lawrence Zazzo from $750 to $375 per month for seven months of the year while one of his sons was attending college. He did not submit a current Case Information Statement (CIS) with his motion. The judge ruled that the moving party seeking a decrease in child support need not provide up-to-date financial disclosure where the moving party's prima facie case asserted a decrease in the custodial parent's need for child support. See R. 5:5-4. He further ruled that Lawrence had demonstrated a change in circumstances, although the decrease was clearly contrary to the terms of a property settlement agreement. Finally, the judge reduced support without findings of fact concerning the custodial parent's present needs or her present ability to pay for the remaining needs of the parties' two children. See R. 5:6A.[1]

Lynn and Lawrence Zazzo were married on August 30, 1969. Their two sons were born December 15, 1970 and July 9, 1972, respectively. Their April 26, 1985 agreement provided that:

1. The Husband shall pay to the Wife for the support of the two minor children of the marriage the sum of $1,500.00 per month allocated at $750.00 for *127 each of the two children per month. This amount is to be paid directly to the Wife in two equal payments of $750.00 due on the 1st and 15th of each month.
2. The Husband's obligation for child support shall continue until each child is emancipated. The term "emancipation" shall be defined for the purposes of this Agreement as follows:
A. The completion of the child's formal education on a matriculated basis, whether it be graduation from a four year undergraduate school or highschool, it being understood that so long as the child is diligently pursuing his or her formal education and obtaining passing grades, the child shall not be considered emancipated.
B. Upon the completion of any of the aforesaid segments of the child's education, and upon failure to commence the next segment of his or her education, or upon leaving school, the child shall be deemed emancipated unless failure to continue on with his or her education has resulted from illness or injury or some other cause beyond the child's control.
C. The marriage of the child.
D. Entry into the military or armed forces of the child.

In April 1985, almost simultaneously with the divorce, Lawrence had relinquished his interest in approximately $60,000 from his uncle's estate to his parents. His father made financial provisions for the two grandchildren's education, including covering the balance due after loans and scholarships for the eldest child's first year at Yale University. The judge considered this outside provision for college tuition and board to be a change in circumstances.

As noted, Lawrence refused to provide current income information with his motion. Lawrence's 1984 tax return showed that his gross income was $65,944.00. Lynn's 1985 CIS showed a 1984 income of $6,569.00. Lynn's gross income in 1988 was $24,138.00. Lynn's 1989 CIS gave her current net monthly income as $1,640.32 and her monthly expenses as $3,825.25.[2]

*128 Lynn first appeals from the judge's ruling that no CIS was necessary from the parent applying to reduce a support order based on a decrease in the child's "need." As of the time of the motion, R. 5:5-2 provided:

(a) Applicability. The case information statement required by this rule shall be filed and served in all contested family actions, except summary actions, in which there is any issue as to custody, support, alimony or equitable distribution. In all other family actions, a case information statement may be required by order on motion of the court or a party.
(b) Time and Filing: Except as otherwise provided in R. 5:7-2, a case information statement or certification that no such statement is required under subparagraph (a) shall be filed by each party with the clerk in the county of venue within 20 days after the filing of an Answer of Appearance. The case information statement shall be filed in the form set forth in Appendix V or these rules. The court may, on its own motion and notice to the parties, dismiss a party's pleadings for failure to have filed a Case Information Statement. If dismissed, said pleadings shall be subject to reinstatement upon such conditions as the court may deem just.
(c) Amendments. Parties are under a continuing duty to inform the court of any changes in the information supplied on the case information statement. All amendments to the statement shall be filed with the court no later than 20 days before the final hearing. The court may prohibit a party from introducing into evidence any information not disclosed or it may enter such order as it deems appropriate.
(d) Income Tax Returns. Following the entry of a final judgment, the court shall order the return to the parties of any income tax returns filed with a case information statement under this rule.

In his written decision, the judge ruled:

R. 5:5-2(a) is the threshold Rule. When the action is filed for the first time — and this relates to all actions in the Family Part — the court must be furnished with all the information necessary for its decision. This includes the parties' financial information in the form of the Case Information Statement. R. 5:5-4 then takes up the question of modification of an Order or Judgment resulting from such earlier action.

R. 5:5-4 then provided:

When a motion is brought for the modification of an order or judgment for alimony or child support, the pleading filed in support of the motion shall have appended to it a copy of the prior Case Information Statement or Statements filed before entry of the order or judgment sought to be modified.

The judge said,

Each case is to be judged ... on its own peculiar facts, and the court must be allowed to decide whether in a given case disclosure is necessary for its decision. In the instant Motion, disclosure of the plaintiff's current financial *129 status is not required for the court's disposition of the Motion for modification of child support. To so order would be a pointless exercise in futility.

Although our primary purpose in writing is to examine the concept of "need" when a supporting parent contends a child's needs have decreased, we are first satisfied that the judge's interpretation of the Rules was incorrect. While the current rule, R. 5:5-4, effective September 4, 1990, requiring a current CIS be filed with any support modification motion[3]

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Bluebook (online)
584 A.2d 281, 245 N.J. Super. 124, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/zazzo-v-zazzo-njsuperctappdiv-1990.