Opinion ID: 1878886
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 14

Heading: Other factors relevant to the parentchild relationship

Text: ¶ 34. Under this heading, the trial judge noted that the pictures submitted as evidence portrayed a messy house with empty beer bottles on the counter. The court acknowledged that Tim admitted taking clothes out of the closet and rearranging them in the bedroom to take the picture, and that drinking is done almost everyday by everyone. Again, no reference was made to Tim's admitted drinking. ¶ 35. After considering all of the evidence and weighing the enumerated factors, the trial judge found that it would be in the best interest of the child to be relocated to Tim's care. A cursory glance at the above analysis reveals that the evidence supports a finding that more factors weigh in favor of Beth than Tim. The chancellor found otherwise. While the chancellor did cover each Albright factor, he rarely did anything but restate some of the pertinent evidence to be considered under each factor, only once or twice actually ruling that a factor favored one party over the other. ¶ 36. This Court has held that although it could not be said that the chancellor's conclusion regarding the application of the Albright factors was so lacking in evidentiary support as to be manifest error, the absence of specific findings prevented affirming the lower court with the confidence that the best result was reached. Hayes v. Rounds, 658 So.2d 863, 865 (Miss.1995). A similar situation presents itself today. While the chancellor analyzed the applicable factors, he did not do so with specificity, assigning very few to a particular parent. If, as Albright indicates, one factor should not outweigh another, the chancellor erred by determining the case on the basis of Beth's moral fitness, when upon review, Beth clearly wound up with more factors weighing in her favor. Albright, 437 So.2d at 1005. ¶ 37. Tim testified that his only concern with leaving Zach in Beth's permanent custody was the homosexual environment in which Zach would be raised. Tim felt that she was qualified in every other way to raise the child. Tim specifically testified that [i]t's wrong, it'sand I don't care what society says. It's morally wrong. It totally goes against the laws of God. It is wrong, period. I want my son to grow up a healthy, happy, young man. Despite this admonition, he testified that Beth was a good mother. It is clear from the record that the chancellor's defining consideration in determining custody of Zach centered on the allegations of Beth's homosexual affair. In doing so, the chancellor committed reversible error.
¶ 38. This argument is little more than a rehash of the points presented under the moral fitness section of the Albright factors. Beth simply attempts to argue that the chancellor applied an erroneous legal standard by considering the allegations of a lesbian relationship in granting Tim custody of Zach. More properly, this argument should be labeled an inappropriate application of the correct legal standard by the chancellor in placing too much weight on one particular factor, i.e., moral fitness. This argument is adequately addressed under Issue I.