Case Name: Gloria GABER, Appellant, v. Allen Gary GABER, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1989-01-03
Citations: 536 So. 2d 381
Docket Number: No. 88-2282
Parties: Gloria GABER, Appellant, v. Allen Gary GABER, Appellee.
Judges: Before SCHWARTZ, C.J., and BASKIN and JORGENSON, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 536
Pages: 381–383

Head Matter:
Gloria GABER, Appellant, v. Allen Gary GABER, Appellee.
No. 88-2282.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District.
Jan. 3, 1989.
Charles L. Neustein, for appellant.
Floyd, Pearson, Richman, Greer, Weil, Zack & Brumbaugh and Sally R. Doerner and Bruce Christiansen, for appellee.
Before SCHWARTZ, C.J., and BASKIN and JORGENSON, JJ.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
Gloria Gaber appeals an order granting her former husband's petition to modify custody of their son, Jeffrey. The father filed a petition seeking a change of custody a few weeks after she moved to Broward County. We reverse.
A parent seeking a modification of custody has "the dual burden of showing that there has been a substantial change of circumstances since the entry of the final judgment and that the best interests of [the child] would be served by a change in custody. Indeed, the parent seeking to modify custody carries an extraordinary burden." Delgado v. Silvarrey, 528 So.2d 1358, 1360 (Fla. 3d DCA 1988) (citations omitted). In the case before us, the trial court ordered a change in custody based "mainly" on the child's preference and a home study report. The home study report indicates that the mother, Jeffrey, his sisters, and his great-grandmother moved from North Miami Beach to Plantation, located in Broward County; that Jeffrey expressed a desire to live with his father; and that he was having difficulty adjusting to the new area. Based on the information gathered, the home study consultant had recommended a change in custody if Jeffrey did not show a substantial adjustment to his new environment. The trial court considered the report and entered the order under review without finding a substantial change of circumstances.
The home study report does not demonstrate a substantial change in circumstances sufficient to support a change in custody under the law. Cf. Bragassa v. Bragassa, 505 So.2d 556 (Fla. 3d DCA 1987) (where parent moved several hundred miles away thereby precluding frequent visitation, trial court properly found material change in circumstances). Although the report largely reflects the child's preference to live with the father, the child's wish is merely a factor to be considered in determining modification of custody. See § 61.13(3)(i), Fla. Stat. (1987). Preference is not the disposi-tive factor. Elkins v. Vanden Bosch, 433 So.2d 1251 (Fla. 3d DCA), review dismissed, 438 So.2d 831 (Fla.1983). Because the trial court failed to find, and the record does not demonstrate, a substantial change in circumstances, we reverse the order under review.
REVERSED AND REMANDED.
SCHWARTZ, C.J., and BASKIN, J., concur.