Case Name: Maxine Shaffer, Appellant, v. Jack Eugene Shaffer, Respondent
Court: Washington Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Washington
Decision Date: 1963-03-28
Citations: 61 Wash. 2d 699
Docket Number: No. 36441
Parties: Maxine Shaffer, Appellant, v. Jack Eugene Shaffer, Respondent.
Judges: 
Reporter: Washington Reports
Volume: 61
Pages: 699–707

Head Matter:
[No. 36441.
En Banc.
March 28, 1963.]
Maxine Shaffer, Appellant, v. Jack Eugene Shaffer, Respondent.
Ray W. DeKraay, for appellant.
Gladys Phillips, for respondent.
Reported in 379 P. (2d) 995.

Opinion:
Hunter, J.
This is an appeal from the modification of a divorce decree awarding the custody of a 4-year-old girl to the defendant father (respondent). The original decree, entered in December, 1958, 3 years earlier, awarded custody of the child to the plaintiff mother (appellant) with visitation privileges to the father together with a duty of support payments.
Following the entry of the original decree of divorce, the plaintiff lived in Aberdeen, Washington and the defendant continually visited his daughter. Shortly thereafter, however, the plaintiff moved from Washington to Oregon without notifying the defendant and in violation of the divorce decree, which prohibited her from removing the child from the state without permission of the court. While the plaintiff was absented, the defendant made several futile attempts to locate his child and to exercise his visitation privileges. During this time he continued to maintain his support payments.
Having been unable to locate the plaintiff and the child, the defendant enlisted the aid of the Grays Harbor Prosecuting Attorney. On February 12, 1960, the plaintiff appeared at the prosecuting attorney's office, and together with the- defendant, executed a written agreement which permitted her to take the child to Oregon for residence. In this agreement, the plaintiff stated that she had remarried and was then living in Lebanon, Oregon but, in fact, she was not married and was living in Eugene. (The evidence is in conflict as to whether on February 12th she was accompanied by a man who she represented to be her husband.) In reliance on her representations, however, the defendant signed the agreement.
Subsequently, the defendant made several attempts to visit his daughter, but each time he did so the plaintiff either could not be found, refused to permit his visit, or requested him to postpone the exercising of his privilege. Having been denied his privilege so often, he began the present action.
The hearing on the petition to modify began September 21, 1961, and, due to an unexpected but necessary absence of witnesses, a continuance was granted until January 8, 1962. In granting the continuance, the court made specific provisions for the parties to share the custody of the child over the holidays; the defendant was to have the child between November 4 and December 10, 1961, and again between December 31, 1961 and January 8, 1962. The defendant had the child during the first period and promptly returned her to the plaintiff. When it came time for the second period, however, the plaintiff refused to release her. Prior to his December 31st visit, the defendant made several attempts to contact the plaintiff in order to inform her of the time of his arrival in Oregon to get his daughter. Without having successfully reached the plaintiff, he traveled to her home and asked for the child. The plaintiff informed him that the child was sick with the flu and refused to let him take her. Thereupon, the defendant returned to Washington without seeing his daughter and related this incident to the court when it reconvened on January 8, 1962.
Other evidence introduced at the hearing consisted of facts indicating that the plaintiff had become pregnant by someone other than her husband before her divorce and had had a miscarriage thereafter (The plaintiff denies she became pregnant by a man other than her husband. The court made no findings on this issue.); that she had had affairs with other men subsequent to the decree of divorce (This was denied by the plaintiff and the court made no findings on this issue.); that, although she had been married four times, she was now married to a man in Oregon with a steady job, a nice home, and a desire to support the child; and that, since she was no longer working, she was free to attend to her children. In addition, the following evidence was introduced: The defendant had drinking problems which, although improved, were not eliminated after his divorce and, as a result thereof, he had lost his driver's license; he worked nights in an Aberdeen mill on a job which he had held for 3 years; he lived with his mother and stepfather; and, although having other children to care for, his mother desired to take care of his daughter.
The trial court found that the plaintiff had failed to obey the orders of the court, that she had lied about her marriage and residence in obtaining the agreement of February 12, 1960, that she had made it difficult for the defendant to visit his child, that it was not satisfied the child was sick on December 31, 1961, and that the plaintiff was not a fit person to have custody of the child but that the defendant was. Thereupon, the court modified the decree of divorce, giving custody of the child to the defendant and according rights of visitation to the plaintiff.
The plaintiff contends the court erred in finding that she was not a fit and proper person to have custody of the child and in modifying the decree so as to award custody to the defendant.
She contends that the present controversy has arisen over visitation rights, the violation of which is not a ground for modification, and that the evidence does not support the trial court's conclusion that she is not a fit and proper person to have custody of the child.
The only basis on which the trial court might properly have modified the divorce decree so as to change the custody of the child to the defendant is that such action was in the best interest and welfare of the child. Johnson v. Johnson, 53 Wn. (2d) 107, 330 P. (2d) 1075 (1958); Chatwood v. Chatwood, 44 Wn. (2d) 233, 266 P. (2d) 782 (1954).
The child, since her birth, has resided with the plaintiff and, as stated by counsel in open court, has been with her during the pendency of this appeal. Except for extensive testimony regarding the denial of the father's visitations, the record is barren of evidence showing the plaintiff has in any manner neglected her daughter, nor is there any evidence that her daughter was not a normal and a well-adjusted child. The plaintiff is now married to a man who has a steady job, a good home, and an interest in the child; she has two other daughters by her former marriage, one 6 years of age and the other 12 years of age, also residing with her.
The major portion of the testimony taken at the hearing involved the problems which the defendant has had in exercising his visitation privileges. The trial court is justified in being concerned about the lack of regard which the plaintiff has shown for the orders of the court, especially in view of her denial of the defendant's visitation privileges accorded by the original divorce decree and her disregard for the order entered at the time of the continuance. Such conduct should not be countenanced and appropriate action should be taken for the enforcement of the court's orders. However, wilful violation of a court decree cannot, per se, justify a change of custody in every case. Sweeny v. Sweeny, 43 Wn. (2d) 542, 262 P. (2d) 207 (1953). As we said in Thompson v. Thompson, 56 Wn. (2d) 244, 352 P. (2d) 179 (1960):
"Punishment of the parent for contempt may not be visited upon the child in custody cases. The custody of the child is not to be used as a reward or punishment for the conduct of the parents. Malfait v. Malfait, 54 Wn. (2d) 413, 341 P. (2d) 154 (1959); Annest v. Annest, 49 Wn. (2d) 62, 298 P. (2d) 483 (1956); Norman v. Norman, 27 Wn. (2d) 25, 176 P. (2d) 349 (1947). The best interest of the child is the paramount and controlling consideration. Johnson v. Johnson, supra."
The well-established rule adopted by this court is that the judgment of the trial court in child custody matters will not be disturbed in the absence of a manifest abuse of discretion. Thompson v. Thompson, supra. However, upon reviewing the record, we are in doubt as to whether or not the trial court, in the changing of custody to the defendant, considered the infliction of punishment upon the plaintiff for violation of the court's orders.
Therefore, the judgment is reversed and the case is remanded to the trial court for further consideration of the change of custody of the minor child consistent with the views expressed in this opinion. Since a considerable period of time has elapsed from the date of judgment from which this appeal was taken, pertinent evidence of events which have transpired since said date and conditions presently existing concerning the fitness of the parents and the health and welfare of the child may be introduced for the trial court's additional consideration.
It is so ordered.
Donworth, Finley, Weaver, Rosellini, and Hale, JJ., concur.