Opinion ID: 1861788
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: was it error to deny the mother's counterclaim to restore the father's child support obligations to the amount established under the original divorce decree?

Text: It should be noted initially that the findings of the chancery court concerning findings of fact, particularly in the areas of divorce and child support, will generally not be overturned by this Court on appeal unless they are manifestly wrong. Devereaux v. Devereaux, 493 So.2d 1310, 1312 (Miss. 1986); Carr v. Carr, 480 So.2d 1120, 1122 (Miss. 1985). Thus, any examination of child support awards and adjustments should be made with this standard in mind. The original divorce decree entered on November 11, 1981, required that the appellee pay $400 per month as child support. By the time the second decree was entered on July 15, 1983, the appellee was over $5,000 in arrears on this child support obligation. In the same 1983 decree which awarded the appellant a judgment in the amount of approximately $5,200, plus interest, the appellee was also granted a downward adjustment in child support obligations to $350 per month. The downward adjustment was to be in effect until further orders of [the] court. The decree further held that the reduction in child support shall only be temporary until the financial condition of the defendant improves. The main reason for the downward adjustment in child support figures was the fact that the appellee's income in 1983 amounted to just over $5,000. However, by the time of the 1986 hearing, the appellee's income had risen to approximately $13,000, more than doubling in a two year period of time. It would seem that if all other circumstances concerning the children remained the same, the appellee should be required to resume payment of the original $400 per month child support obligations. However, as discussed under previous assignments of error, there had been changed circumstances in this case, namely that Amanda had reached the age of 21 and that Darren had moved into the appellee's home. At the very least, the appellee's child support obligation should be reduced for the simple reason that Darren was living with his father. Therefore, it seems obvious that the appellant's claim that she is entitled to $400 child support payments pursuant to the terms of the original divorce decree in 1981 is erroneous. An appellate court is not at liberty to overturn decisions of the chancellor unless they are manifestly in error. This Court cannot say that under these facts the chancellor was manifestly in error in refusing to reinstate the original amount of child support payments. Therefore, it is the opinion of this Court that the mother's final assignment of error is without merit. For the foregoing reasons, it is the opinion of this Court that the decision of the chancery court should be affirmed in all aspects. AFFIRMED. ROY NOBLE LEE, C.J., HAWKINS and DAN M. LEE, P.JJ., and ROBERTSON, SULLIVAN, ANDERSON, PITTMAN and BLASS, JJ., concur.