Opinion ID: 2077226
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Judgment on Appeal

Text: [¶ 10] On November 26, 2008, Donald filed a new action against Elizabeth and Wiers, seeking: (1) an order that Wiers and the child undergo genetic testing, pursuant to 19-A M.R.S. § 1558 (2009), to determine the child's paternity; (2) a finding, pursuant to 19-A M.R.S. § 1561 (2009), that Wiers, and not Donald, is the child's biological father; (3) relief, pursuant to M.R. Civ. P. 60(b), from the parental rights and responsibilities portion of the divorce judgment and from the denial of his previous motions to establish paternity and for relief from judgment; and (4) an order establishing the parental rights and responsibilities of himself, Elizabeth, and Wiers. [¶ 11] Wiers and Elizabeth raised affirmative defenses in their answers and moved to dismiss Donald's petition. Later, each filed a motion for summary judgment. Donald filed a combined opposition to the motions for summary judgment and filed a statement of additional material facts, including his allegation that Wiers may be the child's father. [¶ 12] In April 2009, the court ( Beliveau, J. ) granted, in two separate orders, Elizabeth's and Wiers's motions for summary judgment. In its order granting Wiers's motion, the court held that Donald was barred under the doctrines of res judicata and collateral estoppel from attempting to relitigate the court's prior determination that he is the child's legal father, even if the court were to construe his petition as seeking a different remedy from that previously sought. The court concluded that, having fully litigated the issue of his status as the child's legal father, Donald could not seek to revisit the issue under the guise of a petition, pursuant to 19-A M.R.S. § 1553 (2009), to establish paternity and determine parental rights and responsibilities. The court awarded Wiers $500 toward his attorney fees. [¶ 13] With respect to Elizabeth's motion, the court determined that no issues of material fact were in dispute and that [t]his matter should be resolved by resorting to the doctrine of res judicata.  Accordingly, the court granted Elizabeth's motion for summary judgment and awarded her $500 toward her attorney fees. [¶ 14] Donald filed this appeal.