Case Name: Richard Jennings MacCONNELL, Appellant, v. Starla K. CASCANTE, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1996-02-28
Citations: 668 So. 2d 668
Docket Number: No. 94-2637
Parties: Richard Jennings MacCONNELL, Appellant, v. Starla K. CASCANTE, Appellee.
Judges: STONE, J., concurs.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 668
Pages: 668–671

Head Matter:
Richard Jennings MacCONNELL, Appellant, v. Starla K. CASCANTE, Appellee.
No. 94-2637.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District.
Feb. 28, 1996.
Peggy Rowe-Linn of Peggy Rowe-Linn, P.A., and Jane Kreusler-Walsh of Jane Kreusler-Walsh, P.A., West Palm Beach, for appellant.
Holly Davidson of DuBosar & Davidson, P.A., Boca Raton, for appellee.

Opinion:
STEVENSON, Judge.
This is an appeal from a final judgment on modification of child custody allowing the former wife to relocate to Costa Rica with the minor child on a part-time basis and setting up a rotating custody schedule between the U.S. and Costa Rica. We reverse and remand.
Pursuant to an amended final judgment of dissolution of marriage, former husband, Richard MacConnell and former wife, Starla Cascante, were awarded shared parental responsibility of their child, Crystal, who was born in May of 1989. The former wife was named as the primary residential parent and the husband was given frequent and liberal visitation. The amended final judgment enjoined both parties from moving Crystal's residence from Palm Beach County without the consent of the other parent or the court.
In October of 1993, the former husband filed a petition requesting modification of primary residential custody from the former wife to himself. The petition alleged that the mother was in a campaign to alienate Crystal from him, which included a move to Costa Rica. The former wife answered and counter-petitioned, seeking permission to move the minor child to Costa Rica. After an evidentiary hearing, the trial court entered the order which is the subject of this appeal. In that order, the trial court adopted a 24 month rotational custody arrangement that the parties had previously negotiated toward but had not agreed to. This order gave the parties shared parental responsibility of Crystal and designated each parent as the primary residential parent when Crystal is with that parent.
We agree with former husband that the trial court's order allowing the former wife to relocate with Crystal to Costa Rica is deficient because the court failed to specifically analyze the so-called Mize factors in the order itself. In Mize v. Mize, 621 So.2d 417 (Fla.1993), the supreme court set out six factors which must be considered in determining whether to permit the custodial parent to move. These six factors are:
1. Whether the move would be likely to improve the general quality of life for both the primary residential spouse and the children.
2. Whether defeating visitation is the actual motivation for the move.
3. Whether the custodial parent, once out of the jurisdiction, will be likely to comply with visitation arrangements.
4. Whether the substitute visitation will be adequate to foster a continuing meaningful relationship between the child or children and the noncustodial parent.
5. Whether the cost of transportation is financially affordable by one or both of the parents.
6. Whether the move is in the best interests of the child.
Id. at 420. Additionally, where the final judgment incorporates a prohibition against the relocation of the child, the parent with primary residential responsibility must show a change of circumstances to justify the relocation. Id. Here, the former wife's remarriage and her new husband's newly acquired opportunity to manage an 80 acre coconut seed farm in Costa Rica unquestionably warrant a finding of changed circumstances.
Lastly, we note that the child will be rotating between living with the former wife in Costa Rica and the former husband in Florida. While rotating custody arrangements are appropriate in certain cases, they are generally frowned upon and presumptively not in the best interests of the child. Langford v. Ortiz, 654 So.2d 1237 (Fla. 2d DCA 1995); Bienvenu v. Bienvenu, 380 So.2d 1164 (Fla. 3d DCA 1980). There are several factors that the court should analyze in determining whether rotational custody is in the best interests of the child including: (1) the age and maturity of the child; (2) whether the rotating custody arrangement takes into account the necessary divisions in a child's life, such as the school year; (3) whether the parents live near each other; and (4) the preferences of the child. Lang-ford; Bienvenu. Since we have reversed the final judgment on other grounds which require that the entire custody issue be revisited, we do not decide whether the rotational agreement in the instant case is proper; instead, we simply direct the trial court, on remand, to consider the rotating custody arrangement in light of the appropriate factors and the presumption against it.
Accordingly, the final judgment of modification of custody is reversed and this cause remanded to the trial court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. Additional testimony and evidence may be received at the discretion of the trial court.
REVERSED AND REMANDED.
STONE, J., concurs.
FARMER, J., dissents with opinion.
. The trial court's order contained a detailed schedule wherein Crystal would complete one "school year" in Costa Rica while with the mother and one "school year" in Florida with the father. During extended breaks (spring, summer, and etc.) and between the intervals of each school term, she would live with the other parent. We see no indication in the trial court's order that Crystal would be expected to attend school "year round" as suggested by the dissent.