Opinion ID: 1387582
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Is the intervention permissive or of right?

Text: This court will also hold that intervention is permissive only, as determined within the discretion of the court when meeting the criteria for permissive intervention under Rule 24(c). By this result, it is determined that the independent action is normally available, although limited in its scope to the proper subject matter of the visitation statute, [17] and that intervention in the divorce docket is available upon a discretionary decision of the trial court. If the proceeding utilized is by intervention in the existing divorce proceeding, then actual and not pro-forma representation of the children under the statute relating to decrees involving someone under the age of majority is also required. This is not intended to say that in every case a guardian ad litem would be required, but certainly the direct interest of the children, without the conflict of parental emotion, should be secured by primary representation. Matter of Parental Right to Child X, Wyo., 617 P.2d 1078 (1980). In this case we find, in the absence of either a motion to intervene in the divorce case, Susan B. Nation, Plaintiff, v. David E. Nation, Defendant, Civil No. 46893, or the filing of an independent action whereby the minors are parties or are properly represented, that the district court lacked jurisdiction to enter the order from which the appeal was taken. To summarize, we hold: (1) In the absence of a local district court rule, with proper service, filing of responsive affidavits in a summary-judgment proceeding is not required at any time prior to the commencement of the motion hearing. (2) The provisions of § 20-2-113(c), W.S. 1977, 1985 Cum.Supp., require a hearing and written findings that visitation would be in the best interest of the child. (3) Visitation claims under § 20-2-113(c), W.S. 1977, 1985 Cum.Supp., may be litigated by independent proceedings; or, pursuant to the provisions of Rule 24(b), W.R.C.P., in the exercise of discretion of the court, when the requisite facts under the rule exist. The decision of the trial court is reversed, and the case remanded to vacate entry of the order dated June 7, 1985 and entered June 10, 1985, and for such further proceedings as are not inconsistent with this decision. Reversed.