Opinion ID: 1678599
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Credit for Previously Paid Support

Text: Next, Jeffrey contends on appeal that he is entitled to a credit for the child-support payments he paid to Teresa from July 13, 1990 until October 27, 1991. On July 13, 1990, the trial court entered a temporary order giving Teresa custody of the children and ordering Jeffrey to pay $80 a week in child support. On September 26, 1991, the trial court entered a divorce decree giving Jeffrey custody of the children and requiring Teresa to pay $300 a month child support. The final divorce decree superceded the temporary order. Smith v. Smith, 236 Ark. 141, 365 S.W.2d 247 (1963); Lewis v. Lewis, 222 Ark. 743, 262 S.W.2d 456 (1953). When the court stayed the divorce decree on September 30, 1991, the superseded temporary order was not revived. Accordingly, the trial court was correct when it held that Jeffrey was under no obligation to pay child support to Teresa from September 26, 1991 until December 9, 1991. Hence, any payments that Jeffrey made during this time were voluntary payments that cannot be recovered. See Vandiver, supra ; Goins v. Sneed, 229 Ark. 550, 317 S.W.2d 269 (1958). Furthermore, we note that any arguments about payments that were made or should have been made prior to the March 1992 order were matters that could have and should have been raised in the first appeal of this case. Hence, as mentioned previously, these matters are barred from reconsideration under the law-of-the-case doctrine. Vandiver, supra . Accordingly, we affirm the trial court's ruling that Jeffrey is not entitled to a credit for child-support payments that he made from September 26, 1991 until October 27, 1991.