Opinion ID: 2608339
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Past-Due Payments

Text: Appellant contends the court's order permitting appellee-husband to purge his contempt by paying $1,000 had the effect of exonerating him from paying accrued child-support payments, amounting to an additional $3,200. We think the modifying order cannot be construed as having such an effect. It neither allowed nor denied a money judgment to petitioner, the wife, for past-due support payments. To say that the court has a continuing jurisdiction and a responsibility to revise its provisions for the custody of children, according to their best interest and welfare, [1] is not to say the court retains the same kind of continuing jurisdiction with respect to the civil rights of the parents, as between each other. In her petition for punishment of the husband, the wife did not ask for a money judgment for past-due support payments. She merely asked to have the father of the children punished. The court did adjudge him guilty of contempt. As far as the contempt was concerned, the judge permitted the contemnor to purge himself by paying $1,000. The order did not provide, however, that he would thereby be relieved from civil liability, if any, on account of past-due payments. As we see it, the district court did not pass upon the question, either factually or legally, as to whether upon a proper suit therefor, the mother of the children would be entitled to a money judgment against the father for support payments not made up to the time of modification. We do not deem it necessary or proper for us to pass upon such a matter, factually or legally, because it is not here involved. Also, we will not attempt to say what effect, if any, alleged violations of the original decree by the mother, such as a denial of visitation rights to the father, might have on a civil action for accrued payments up to the time of modification. There being no lack of jurisdiction or abuse of discretion on the part of the district court in modifying its original decree, and it appearing that it did not attempt to pass upon whether the appellant-wife is entitled to a money judgment for delinquent payments up to the time of modification, we find the order appealed from should be affirmed. Affirmed.