FILED

March 1, 1996

Cecil Crowson, Jr.

Appellate Court Clerk

I N THE COURT OF APPEALS OF TENNESSEE

EASTERN SECTI ON

MARK SCOTT SMI TH ) KNOX COUNTY

) 03A01- 9411- CH- 00413

Pl a i ntif f - Appe lle e )

)

)

v. ) HON. SHARON J . BELL,

 ) CHANCELLOR

)

FAI TH HORNE SMI TH )

)

De f e nda nt - Appe l l a nt ) AFFI RMED AND REMANDED

 

MI CHAEL A. NOLAN OF KNOXVI LLE FOR APPELLANT

MARK SCOTT SMI TH, Appe l l e e , Pr o Se

O P I N I O N

 Godda r d, P. J .

Appe l l a nt Fa i t h Hor ne Smi t h a ppe a l s a di vor c e de c r e e

e nt e r e d by t he Cha nc e r y Cour t f or Knox Count y whe r e i n s he r a i s e s

t he f ol l owi ng f our i s s ue s :

1. Di d t he t r i a l c our t e r r i n t he a mount a nd t e r m of

a l i mony gr a nt e d t o De f e nda nt .

2. Di d t he t r i a l c our t e r r i n t he a wa r di ng of j oi nt

c us t ody of t he pa r t i e s mi nor c hi l dr e n r a t he r t ha n
2

a l l owi ng De f e nda nt s ol e c us t ody a nd/ or t he f r e e dom t o

r e l oc a t e with the c hildr e n to a not he r s t a t e with

libe r a l e xt e nde d vi s ita tion a wa r de d to Pl a i ntif f .

3. Di d the tr i a l c our t e r r in the di vi di ng ma r ita l

a s s e t s i n s uc h a ma nne r t ha t De f e nda nt ha d l i t t l e or no

l i qui d a s s e t s t o pa y bi l l s or a t t or ne y f e e s .

4. Di d t he t r i a l c our t e r r i n r e f us i ng t o gr a nt

a t t or ne y f ees t o De f e nda nt .

Appe lle e Ma r k Sc ott Smith in hi s r e pl y br i e f a l s o

r a i s e s a n i ssue :

Di d t he t r i a l c our t e r r i n r e f us i ng t o modi f y t he

Re f e r e e ' s Opi ni on t o r e duc e t he t e mpor a r y s uppor t pa i d

t o De f e nda nt .

Our r e a di ng of t he r e c or d a nd t he Cha nc e l l or ' s f i ndi ng

of f a c t a nd c onc l us i ons of l a w pe r s ua de us t hi s i s a n a ppr opr i a t e

c a s e f or a f f i r ma nc e unde r Rul e 10( a ) of t hi s Cour t .

Be f or e c onc l udi ng, we not e t ha t t he t r i a l c our t i s

accor de d wi de di s c r e t i on as t o t he ma t t e r s r a i s e d by Mr s . Smi t h

i n i s s ue s one , t hr e e a nd f our . 

We r e c ogni z e tha t a s to the f i r s t poi nt r a i s e d in is s ue

t wo, j oi nt c us t ody ha s be e n c r i t i c i z e d by a numbe r of our c a s e s ,

i.e ., Ma l one v. Ma l one , 842 S. W. 2d 621 ( Te nn. App. 1992) ; Dodd v.

Dodd, 737 S. W. 2d 286 ( Te nn. App. 1987) . Howe ve r , we be l i e ve unde r

t he uni que c i r c ums t a nc e s of t hi s c a s e , whi c h a r e poi nt e d out i n

t he Cha nc e l l or ' s me mor a ndum opi ni on, s uc h a n a r r a nge me nt i s

a ppr opr i a t e . As t o t he s e c ond poi nt r a i s e d i n i s s ue t wo, we a l s o
3

be l i e ve , a s ma y be i nf e r r e d by our a f f i r ma nc e unde r Rul e 10( a ) ,

t ha t t he e vi de nc e doe s not pr e ponde r a t e a ga i ns t t he Cha nc e l l or ' s

f i ndi ng r e l a t i ve t o r e l oc a t i ng t he c hi l dr e n.

As to the is s ue r a i s e d by Mr . Smith r e l a tive to

pe nde nt e lite a l i mony pa yme nt s , i t woul d a ppe a r hi s c ompl a i nt i s

t ha t Mr s . Smi t h ove r e s t i ma t e d he r e xpe ns e s a t t he he a r i ng be f or e

t he Re f e r e e , a s s hown by he r t e s t i mony gi ve n a t t r i a l . We a r e

di s i nc l i ne d t o di s t ur b t he Re f e r e e ' s de t e r mi na t i on i n l i ght of

t he f a c t tha t the tr a ns c r i pt of the te s timony a t tha t he a r i ng is

not pa r t of t he r e c or d a nd t he f ur t he r f a c t t ha t Mr . Smi t h a gr e e d

f or t he mos t pa r t t o t he a mount a wa r de d.

For t he f or e goi ng r e a s ons t he j udgme nt of t he Tr i a l

Cour t i s a f f i r me d a nd t he c a us e r e ma nde d f or c ol l e c t i on of c os t s

be l ow. Cos t s of a ppe a l a r e a dj udge d one - ha l f t o t he Appe l l a nt

Fa i t h Hor ne Smi t h a nd one - ha l f t o t he Appe l l e e Ma r k Sc ot t Smi t h.

_______________________________

Hous t on M. Godda r d, P. J .

CONCUR:

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He r s c he l P. Fr a nks , J .

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Don T. Mc Mur r a y, J .