Opinion ID: 1953873
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: whether the trial court erred in failing to calculate father's child support obligation according to the child support schedules and in failing to take into consideration the actual needs and standard of living of the children?

Text: Under both her second and third issues, mother contests the trial court's failure to calculate father's child support obligation according to the statutory schedules and its purported failure to take into consideration the actual needs and standard of living of the children as required under SDCL 25-7-6.9. Mother argues that current child support must be based upon the child support schedules at SDCL 25-7-6.2 and that any deviation from the amount required by the schedules must be based on the factors listed in SDCL 25-7-6.10. She asserts that the trial court failed to set child support according to the schedules and failed to base its deviation from the schedules on any of the factors in SDCL 25-7-6.10. Accordingly, mother contends the trial court erred as a matter of law in refusing to modify father's child support obligation. Mother is generally correct in her assertion that child support must be based on the schedules in SDCL 25-7-6.2 and that any deviation from the schedules must be based on the factors in SDCL 25-7-6.10. Johnson v. Johnson, 451 N.W.2d 293 (S.D. 1990). However, there appears to be no dispute between the parties over the fact that their combined net monthly income exceeds the maximum amount contemplated by the schedules (i.e., $4,000 per month). SDCL 25-7-6.9 provides that, [f]or a combined net income above the schedule in § 25-7-6.2, the child support obligation shall be established at an appropriate level, taking into account the actual needs and standard of living of the child. In Earley v. Earley, 484 N.W.2d 125 (S.D.1992), the issue was whether the trial court abused its discretion by failing to mathematically extrapolate the parties' child support obligation from the schedules where the parties' combined net monthly income exceeded the maximum amount in the schedules. This is essentially the same argument mother advances in the present case. We held that: Under SDCL 25-7-6.9, the court must take into account the actual needs and standard of living of the children. Jones v. Jones, 472 N.W.2d 782, 785 n. 2 (S.D. 1991). Jones, held that the trial court did not abuse its discretion by mathematically calculating child support above the maximum guidelines even without entering specific findings as to the needs of the children and their standard of living. However, proof of actual needs and standard of living of the children existed.       After considering these matters, the court set the total child support obligation at the maximum guideline amount for three children. Although the appropriate level of child support may be higher, it does not appear from the record that the trial court abused its discretion considering the proof of actual needs. Earley, 484 N.W.2d at 127-128 (citations omitted). Thus, Earley yields the rule that for parties with a combined net monthly income above the amount contemplated in the child support schedules, the trial court may calculate support by mathematical extrapolation, but it is not obligated to do so. Rather, the essential inquiry remains the actual needs and standard of living of the children. Here, as in Jones, supra, the trial court failed to enter specific findings as to the needs of the children and their standard of living. However, also as in Jones, proof of actual needs and standard of living existed. During the modification hearing, mother submitted a detailed list of her monthly expenses in maintenance of the household and children. Father's affidavit and attachments supplied information on his financial status. Moreover, the trial court did specifically find that, the children of the parties are receiving an appropriate level of child support from [father] and the actual needs and standards of living are in compliance with SDCL 25-7-6.9. The trial court further found that, [father] is presently paying a fair support to [mother] and this support adequately cares for the children of the parties. These determinations were made after the findings that father is paying $1,000 per month in child support, $700 per month for a college fund for the children, $381 per month for their health insurance, and $200 per month for disability insurance, all of which benefits the children. Mother's evidence did assert the children had some enhanced needs due to their advancing ages and participation in various activities. However, her request for an increase in child support was substantially premised on asserted needs such as: $500 per month for the children's clothing; $2,000 for a full sized cello for the oldest daughter to continue cello lessons; travel expenses for the second oldest daughter's participation in school sports; the second oldest daughter's need for more advanced instruction in dance and ballet; and, the children's participation in a language camp in Minnesota. In addition, mother raised complaints over the daughters having to share a room and the fact the wiring in their home was inadequate and would not permit use of more than one curling iron or blow dryer at a time. While father's income and status as a physician might establish that the above items are commensurate with the children's standard of living, we are not prepared to state that the trial court abused its discretion in failing to enter such a finding or a finding that these items constitute actual needs of the children. We reach this conclusion taking particular note of father's unrequired expenditure of $700 per month to establish a college fund for the children. Certainly, the children's interest in a college education outweighs any asserted need for designer clothes, cellos, ballet lessons and language camps. Based upon the above analysis, we find no abuse of discretion in the trial court's denial of mother's motion for an increase in child support.