Case Title: Dunbar v. Dunbar

Citation: 102 Ariz. 352, 429 P.2d 949

Docket Number: 

State: arizona

Court: Arizona Supreme Court

Date: 1967-07-07T00:00:00Z

Document:
102 Ariz. 352 (1967) 429 P.2d 949 Lucille DUNBAR, Appellant, v. H.S. DUNBAR, Appellee. No. 8456. Supreme Court of Arizona, In Banc. July 7, 1967. *353 Gerald G. Eastman, Phoenix, for appellant. Barry B. Cline, Prescott, for appellee. STRUCKMEYER, Justice. This case originated as an action for divorce brought by appellant, Lucille Dunbar, with a cross complaint by appellee, H.S. Dunbar. Divorce was granted in favor of Lucille Dunbar, and from the trial court's rulings on the custody of the minor child and division of property of the parties, she brings this appeal. The parties were married at Gallup, New Mexico, on December 21, 1955. In May, 1956, appellee secured a divorce from appellant. The parties were remarried August 9, 1956, and lived together as man and wife until February 16, 1960, when appellant filed suit for divorce against appellee. On March 2, 1960, while the parties were separated and this second divorce was pending, in contemplation of furthering the marital relationship, the parties entered into an instrument entitled "Agreement and Settlement of Marital and Property Differences," hereinafter called reconciliation agreement, whereby both parties agreed that all property then owned by either of them, both real and personal, was to be community property. The divorce complaint was thereupon dismissed, and the parties reassumed the marriage relation for two and one-half years until November 23, 1962, when the appellant filed the present suit for divorce, alleging cruelty. Appellant sought a division of the property in accordance with the 1960 reconciliation agreement and custody of the four-year-old minor child of the parties, Debra Mashell Dunbar, and child support for this child. The custody and support of the children issue of the previous marriages of the parties are not involved in this appeal. Appellee denied the charges of cruelty, counterclaimed for divorce from the appellant on the grounds of cruelty, claimed that the 1960 reconciliation agreement was void for the reason that it was procured through fraud and duress, and asked that he be given custody of the child. Upon the date set for trial, appellant failed to put in a personal appearance, but was represented by counsel. Counsel for appellant filed a motion for continuance at that time which was denied, and the court proceeded to hear the evidence on both sides. Appellant was granted a divorce on her complaint. The trial court awarded custody of the child to both parents, with physical custody in the appellant, and the appellee was ordered to pay $75 a month for child support. At the trial, the lower court granted appellant's motion to strike from the counterclaim the charge of fraud, but did find, as a mixed question of fact and law, that appellee had signed the reconciliation agreement under duress and, therefore, the reconciliation agreement was void. Appellee was directed to pay the appellant $5,000, payable at the rate of $100 per month in lieu of any rights in the real and personal property awarded to appellee. After perfecting this appeal and filing the answering brief, appellee's then counsel withdrew and present counsel was substituted as appellee's attorney. No further briefs were filed. The issues with which this appeal is concerned are limited to two basic questions. First, whether the trial court abused its discretion by awarding the custody of the minor child to both parents with physical custody in the plaintiff; and second, whether the trial court erred in finding that the reconciliation agreement was entered into under duress and was therefore invalid. *354 I. THE CUSTODY The trial court entered this order: Appellee contends that the dual custody arrangement does not constitute a divided custody because it is qualified by the fact that the actual physical custody is awarded to the appellant with reasonable visitation in the appellee, but we think this provision makes the actual custody so uncertain that it can only lead to future difficulties. The final determination of custody in a divorce action is and must be determined by what the court considers to be in the best interest of the child. The wishes of the parents, of course, may and should be considered; but their happiness and their desires will never be allowed to interfere with the child's true welfare. Bradstreet v. Bradstreet, 34 Ariz. 340, 271 P.2d 717. See also Andro v. Andro, 97 Ariz. 302, 400 P.2d 105, reh. den. 98 Ariz. 1, 401 P.2d 404. While it is true that the trial court stands in the better position to determine what will be in the best interest of the child, nevertheless this Court will not hesitate to modify or reverse where the record discloses an abuse of judicial discretion. Smith v. Smith, 90 Ariz. 190, 367 P.2d 230. It is the declared policy of this state that the age of a minor child is a significant consideration in the determination of custody. A.R.S. § 14-846, subsec. B, provides as follows: The welfare of this child depends upon the attitude of her parents and their treatment of her. In Ward v. Ward, 88 Ariz. 130, 353 P.2d 895, this Court interpreted A.R.S. § 14-846, subsec. B, supra: And, There was no finding that Lucille Dunbar is not a fit and proper person to have custody and control of her daughter. To the contrary, the trial court impliedly found that both father and mother were fit and proper persons to have custody of this child when it granted custody to both parties. From this, we conclude that "other things" are equal and, therefore, the court must abide by the policy of the statute which requires that custody "shall" be given to the mother, appellant herein. 2. THE RECONCILIATION AGREEMENT This brings us to appellant's argument that the trial court erred in declaring the reconciliation agreement invalid based on *355 the finding that it was procured through duress. The agreement was, as its name implies, an "Agreement and Settlement of Marital and Property Differences," under which the ownership of certain properties was agreed to and settled between the parties, and provided: Thus the reconciliation agreement in this case was based on a present separation and in contemplation of resuming the marital relationship. The appellee testified as follows: It is claimed that the agreement was obtained under duress. We feel that a proper statement of the applicable law is set forth in the Restatement of the Law of Contracts as follows: The test of what act or threat constitutes duress is determined by considering whether the threat placed the party entering *356 into the transaction in such fear as to preclude the exercise by him of free will and judgment. And see Restatement of Contracts, § 492, Comment (a). Settlements such as are involved herein must be measured and determined in the light of the facts and surrounding circumstances. By definition, an act or threat to constitute duress must be "wrongful." We have searched the record to determine whether the appellant wrongfully induced the appellee to sign the contract and find the basis upon which duress is grounded lies solely in the appellee's contention that he signed the reconciliation agreement because he did not want a broken home. In this jurisdiction a wife, leaving her husband for just cause, may exact pecuniary consideration for resuming the marriage relation. Tyson v. Tyson, 61 Ariz. 329, 149 P.2d 674. Cf. Hanner v. Hanner, supra. It is not duress to declare an intention to resort to the courts for the purpose of insisting on what one believes are one's legal rights. Kaplan v. Kaplan, 25 Ill. 2d 181, 182 N.E.2d 706. This being so, we can find no wrongful act on the part of the appellant which could be said to have induced the appellee to enter the agreement. To the contrary, appellee testified that the whole tenure of the contract was to the effect that the parties would go back together and act in good faith to try to make a success of their marriage. The whole purpose of the reconciliation agreement was to uphold the marriage. Such an agreement is in harmony with public policy. It would be a subversion of good morals and sound public policy to permit the appellee to avoid the obligations of his contract when the duress claimed is, by nature, the valid and whole consideration of the contract. Judgment reversed with directions to enter judgment in conformity with the views expressed. BERNSTEIN, C.J., McFARLAND, V.C.J., and UDALL and LOCKWOOD, JJ., concur.