Title: Ensrud v. Ensrud

State: nebraska

Issuer: Nebraska Supreme Court

Document:

433 N.W.2d 192 (1988) 230 Neb. 720 David ENSRUD, Appellee and Cross-Appellant, v. Alicia Ann ENSRUD, Appellant and Cross-Appellee. No. 88-192. Supreme Court of Nebraska. December 23, 1988. *194 Kenneth C. Fritzler, of Ross, Schroeder & Fritzler, Kearney, for appellant and cross-appellee. Thomas W. Tye II, of Tye, Hopkins & Tye, Kearney, for appellee and cross-appellant. HASTINGS, C.J., and BOSLAUGH, WHITE, CAPORALE, SHANAHAN, GRANT, and FAHRNBRUCH, JJ. SHANAHAN, Justice. On September 1, 1987, David Ensrud, 21 years of age, commenced an action to dissolve his marriage with Alicia Ann Ensrud, 20 years of age, and obtain custody of their child, Sara Marie, who was nearly 16 months old. David also requested that Alicia pay child support and that the court divide and distribute marital property. In her cross-petition, Alicia reciprocated, seeking custody of Sara Marie, child support, and a property division. Although David and Alicia had been living in Gering, Scotts Bluff County, and were married there, the two moved to Kearney, where David attended college as a full-time student planning a career in business management. Contemporaneously, Alicia attended classes at a business college in Grand Island. Since David's residence was in Buffalo County, the dissolution action was maintained in the district court for that county. At the time of trial on January 7, 1988, David was an unemployed student and expected to be graduated in May of 1988, but was uncertain about prospective employment. In the fall of 1987, Alicia received an associate degree in business administration and finance and moved to Rapid City, South Dakota, where, in Alicia's situation, better employment prospects existed. Alicia's sister also lived in Rapid City. Alicia went to work for a bank in Rapid City and, on the Monday after the trial, was supposed to enter new employment with a credit union at a pay rate of $5.17 per hour. According to Alicia, David was a "very good father" to Sara Marie. David voiced little complaint concerning Alicia's fitness as Sara Marie's mother. Alana Anderson testified for David. Anderson, who had a bachelor's degree in speech pathology and some "graduate hours in psychology," had been an employee in the Child Protective Services of the Department of Social Services for the State of Nebraska and, for a little over a year before the trial, was working as the "Child Custody Officer for the Buffalo County District Court." As child custody officer, Anderson met with parents involved in dissolution proceedings, who "are having problems with custody or visitation." After commencement of the Ensrud dissolution proceedings, Anderson, as the child custody officer, but without a directive order from the court, met about six times with David and Alicia on account of their disagreements regarding temporary custody of Sara Marie. Throughout their intermittent pretrial differences on the custody of Sara Marie, David and Alicia made some custody arrangements concerning Sara Marie, but, as Anderson recounted: "We continually had to make changes" with adoption of a new plan for temporary custody. Realizing that the distance between Rapid City and Kearney was between "400 and 500 miles," Anderson expressed her opinion that "shared custody" was in Sara Marie's best interest. To buttress her opinion, *195 Anderson testified that Sara Marie should be "accessible to both parents" and that it would be "damaging for Sara to be with just one of her parents." Consequently, Anderson recommended that Alicia Ensrud testified that her employment did not provide income sufficient to defray the cost of travel from Rapid City to Kearney, a drive consuming at least 8 hours, for shared custody on the alternate monthly basis recommended by Anderson. Dr. Jerry Denton, a clinical psychologist, also testified for David Ensrud. Although Alicia's living in Rapid City had prevented her interview by Dr. Denton, Sara Marie and David visited with Dr. Denton, who found a sound relationship, a "deep bonding relationship," between the daughter and father. Dr. Denton characterized David as a "nurturing parent," which includes "a certain amount of other-ness in terms of center-ness." (We assume the foregoing and unclarified characterization means that David was not self-centered and was unselfish with respect to Sara Marie and that otherness does not mean "the quality or state of being different." Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged 1598 (1981).) Because he had not interviewed Alicia, Dr. Denton recommended that custody of Sara Marie be shared equally by Alicia and David, or, as explained by Dr. Denton: Having taken the case under advisement, the court later entered a "Decree of Dissolution," which contained a division and distribution of property (action about which neither party complains) and provisions concerning child custody and support for Sara Marie, namely: Alicia contends that the court erred in retaining legal custody of Sara Marie, in authorizing the child custody officer to determine the schedule of visitation and "physical possession" of the child, in not granting Alicia the legal and physical custody of Sara Marie, and in failing to order child support payable to Alicia for Sara Marie. In his cross-appeal, David claims *196 the court erred by failure to grant Sara Marie's custody to David. In an appeal involving actions for dissolution of marriage, the Supreme Court's review of a trial court's judgment is de novo on the record to determine whether there has been an abuse of discretion by the trial judge, whose judgment will be upheld in the absence of an abuse of discretion. In such de novo review, when the evidence is in conflict, the Supreme Court considers, and may give weight to, the fact that the trial judge heard and observed the witnesses and accepted one version of the facts rather than another. Christen v. Christen, 228 Neb. 268, 422 N.W.2d 92 (1988). Neb.Rev.Stat. § 42-364 (Reissue 1988) in pertinent part provides: In a dissolution proceeding, custody of a minor child is determined by the child's best interests and due regard for the superior right of a parent fit to have custody of the child. Nielsen v. Nielsen, 207 Neb. 141, 296 N.W.2d 483 (1980). Pursuant to § 42-364, a district court may obtain and retain legal custody of a minor child, in proceedings to dissolve a marriage, and grant a parent physical custody of the child. Christen v. Christen, supra. In Bartlett v. Bartlett, 193 Neb. 76, 78-79, 225 N.W.2d 413, 415-16 (1975), we stated: See, also, Clark v. Clark, 228 Neb. 440, 422 N.W.2d 793 (1988); Grindle v. Grindle, 226 Neb. 807, 415 N.W.2d 150 (1987); Peterson v. Peterson, 224 Neb. 557, 399 N.W.2d 792 (1987). Our review of the record, which reflects the extant situation at the time of trial, does not disclose anything which then disqualified Alicia or David as a parent fit to have custody of Sara Marie. As indicated in Christen v. Christen, supra, and Bartlett v. Bartlett, supra, if a parent is fit to have custody of a child involved in a dissolution proceeding, a court's acquired and retained legal custody of such child should be a rare disposition warranted only in the extraordinary situation where the court lacks adequate information concerning the best interests of the child in relation to the custody question. Bump v. Firemens Ins. Co., 221 Neb. 678, 689, 380 N.W.2d 268, 276 (1986). See, also, Newton v. Brown, 222 Neb. 605, 386 N.W.2d 424 (1986). We find that the record contains information sufficient to determine whether Alicia or David should have legal custody of Sara Marie. We do not believe that the circumstances warranted a district court's retention of Sara Marie's legal custody. The district court's retention of legal custody, under the circumstances, constituted a judicial abuse of discretion inasmuch as an ostensibly fit parent's right to legal custody was disregarded in the proceedings. Consequently, the district court's order of judicially retained legal custody is reversed. Because almost a year has elapsed since the dissolution trial in this case, Sara Marie's best interests require a remand of the proceedings for a current consideration and determination of the custody question and matters related to custody, such as child support and visitation. Further, temporary custody of Sara Marie is granted to Alicia Ann Ensrud, pending a hearing in the district court to determine who shall have custody of Sara Marie. Therefore, on remand, the district court shall enter its order granting Alicia Ann Ensrud the temporary legal and physical custody of Sara Marie Ensrud, in conformity with our decision and opinion issued today in this case. In view of the remand to the district court, we are obliged to make still further comment in view of the custodial question which was previously presented to the district court and will be presented again to the district court. Regarding shared or joint custody, § 42-364(3) provides: This court has frequently and consistently expressed disapproval of joint custody as a purported solution for the difficulty confronted by a court in determining a question concerning child custody. In Wilson v. Wilson, 224 Neb. 589, 590-91, 399 N.W.2d 802, 803-04 (1987), we stated: As expressed in Korf v. Korf, 221 Neb. 484, 486, 378 N.W.2d 173, 174-75 (1985): In citing this rule with approval, we are not unmindful of Neb.Rev.Stat. § 42-364(3) (Supp.1985), which permits shared or joint custody only when both parents agree to such arrangements. We hasten to point out that the Legislature has provided that even in those cases where parental agreement or consent exists, the court must still conduct a public hearing on that issue. It must then find that joint custody is in the best interests of the child, regardless of agreement or consent by the parents. This is not one of the rare cases where *198 the best interests of the child would be served by shared custody. (Emphasis in original.) In a similar vein, this court, in Trimble v. Trimble, 218 Neb. 118, 120, 352 N.W.2d 599, 601 (1984), commented: As the court observed in Moninger v. Moninger, 202 Neb. 494, 498-99, 276 N.W.2d 100, 103 (1979): For additional cases illustrating this court's disapproval of joint custody arrangements, see, Mettenbrink v. Mettenbrink, 220 Neb. 650, 371 N.W.2d 310 (1985), and Krueger v. Krueger, 211 Neb. 568, 319 N.W.2d 445 (1982). Further analysis and discussion of the pitfalls and shortcomings inherent in joint child custody are found in an extensive article by Singer & Reynolds, A Dissent on Joint Custody, 47 Md.L.Rev. 497 (1988). As approved by the district court in this case, the shared or joint physical custody relates to the right and duty of Alicia and David to provide a home for Sara Marie and make the daily child-rearing decisions required when Sara Marie resides with the particular parent exercising custody. Such a situation necessarily involves Alicia's and David's equally sharing custodial responsibilities regarding physical care and time with respect to Sara Marie. We will not reiterate our concern that joint custody may likely produce detrimental shuttling of a child from one parental residence to another and a lack of stability or continuity in a child's environment as the result of the child's becoming, as it were, a bird batted back and forth in a custodial badminton match. We need not express additional concern, arising from the distance and expense inextricably involved in the alternate periods of custody in Ensruds' case. We need not further descriptively detail our concerns relative to joint physical custody in the present case because the requirements for joint custody under § 42-364(3) have not been satisfied. Parental agreement is a prerequisite for joint custody pursuant to § 42-364(3). The record does not contain any agreement between Alicia and David, stating or otherwise indicating that Sara Marie's custody shall be shared or joint. Quite to the contrary, the attempts by Alicia and David to achieve a pretrial joint custody arrangement can only be characterized as temporary truces in continuing combat for custody of Sara Marie. Also, under § 42-364(3), the trial court must specifically find that joint custody is in the best interests of the child regardless of parental agreement or consent for joint custody. The record does not contain an express finding by the district court that joint custody was in the best interests of Sara Marie. Hence, any order by the district court relative to joint custody in Ensruds' case is an abuse of discretion as the result of noncompliance with the requirements prescribed in § 42-364(3) and is, therefore, reversed. Although we have somewhat restricted our comments about shared or joint custody, other aspects of the present proceedings are truly troubling, namely, *199 the manner in which the child custody officer is involved in this case and the authority exercised and exercisable by that child custody officer. According to the dissolution decree, physical custody was exercisable as directed by the child custody officer. Subject to the child custody officer's approval, modification of custody provisions could be accomplished by agreement of the parties or, in the absence of the parties' agreement, modification of custody could be achieved "as the Custody Officer may from time to time direct." Conspicuously absent from any modification or alteration of joint custody or "change of possession" is the district court, which has the duty to determine the best interests of a child involved in a dissolution proceedings, including the child's best interests in reference to custody. As directed by § 42-364 concerning dissolution proceedings, "Custody and visitation of minor children shall be determined on the basis of their best interests." Specifically, in reference to joint custody, "The court shall not place a child in joint custody without conducting a hearing in open court and specifically finding that joint custody is in the best interest of the child...." § 42-364(3). Determination of best interests is a judicial duty and function, not the responsibility of administrative staff assisting a court in dissolution proceedings. Recently, in Drennen v. Drennen, 229 Neb. 204, 426 N.W.2d 252 (1988), this court held that a statute, which gave authority to a child support referee to establish, modify, enforce, and collect child and spousal support, unconstitutionally denied to persons who were chargeable with potential or delinquent child support obligations access to the district court as a trier of fact concerning claims for child or spousal support. See Neb.Const. art. I, § 13 (access to courts). While the present case does not involve a legislative attempt to confer judicial authority on a grantee outside the judiciary, contrary to the Nebraska Constitution, nevertheless, judicially authorizing a child support officer to control custody of Sara Marie and, correspondingly, the visitation rights of Alicia and David, is a delegation of judicial authority unauthorized in Nebraska law. In Deacon v. Deacon, 207 Neb. 193, 297 N.W.2d 757 (1980), this court considered and reversed a "trial court's order placing in a psychologist the authority to effectively determine visitation, and to control the extent and time of such visitation." Id. at 200, 297 N.W.2d at 762. In disapproving the judicially conferred authority for the psychologist's determination of visitation rights, this court stated: Id. at 200-01, 297 N.W.2d at 762. As this court observed in Lautenschlager v. Lautenschlager, 201 Neb. 741, 743-44, 272 N.W.2d 40, 42 (1978): A decision concerning physical custody of Sara Marie, which necessarily involves ascertaining the best interests of the child, is a matter for constitutionally authorized judicial determination. Such judicial authority cannot and shall not be delegated to administrative personnel, who assist a court charged with the responsibility of determining the best interests of a child involved in a dissolution proceeding. While we have set aside the district court's judgment concerning legal custody retained by the court, which ordinarily would dispose of the custody question in the present case, we are, nevertheless, compelled to express *200 disapproval of the attempted delegation of judicial authority. The district court's judgment pertaining to a division and distribution of marital property is affirmed. Our disposition of Alicia's appeal eliminates the necessity to resolve David's cross-appeal. However, having reversed the district court's judgment regarding custody of Sara Marie, we remand these proceedings to the district court with direction that the district court, after immediate entry of the order granting Alicia Ann Ensrud the temporary custody of Sara Marie Ensrud, shall, as soon as practicable, hold a hearing to determine the question of child custody and related matters in the best interests of Sara Marie Ensrud. REVERSED AND REMANDED WITH DIRECTION.