Opinion ID: 884056
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: issues

Text: Did the District Court err in establishing a visitation schedule for Matthew? Our standard of review for visitation is whether substantial credible evidence supports the district court's findings. Dreesbach, 875 P.2d at 1022 (citing In re Marriage of Nash (1992), 254 Mont. 231, 234, 836 P.2d 598, 600). We will overturn a court's visitation decision only when the court's findings and conclusions clearly demonstrate an abuse of discretion. Dreesbach, 875 P.2d at 1022 (citing In re Marriage of Anderson (1993), 260 Mont. 246, 254-55, 859 P.2d 451, 454). The District Court determined that Dennis should exercise his visitation with Matthew during the entire summer vacation, commencing on the Tuesday after school ends in the spring and terminating ten days before school begins in the fall. In addition, Dennis received visitation on an alternating basis during the Christmas and Thanksgiving holidays and during the spring break vacation. The District Court stated that this plan recognizes the fact that [Martha] is living in Oregon and [Dennis] will remain in Livingston. As noted above, the court also determined that Dennis should be responsible for transportation costs associated with the long-distance visitation. Dennis contends that Martha should have to pay at least one-half of the transportation costs and also argues that the District Court erred in establishing a visitation schedule that departs from the one recommended by Dr. Kelly and Ms. Saltiel. The custody evaluators recommended that Dennis have visitation for the summer vacation, every spring break, on alternating Thanksgiving holidays and for one week every Christmas  the difference being that the District Court's plan alternated the spring break vacation and the Christmas holiday. The District Court recognized the fact that Martha lives in Oregon and Dennis resides in Livingston. We conclude that the District Court did not abuse its discretion in adjusting the visitation schedule based on the physical distance between the parties. Furthermore, since Dennis receives credit against his child support for long-distance visitation, we conclude that the District Court did not abuse its discretion in determining that Dennis should be responsible for transportation costs. We affirm the District Court on this issue. We affirm in part, reverse in part and remand to the District Court for reconsideration of its equitable distribution of the marital estate, based on our holdings on Issue 2 and the record before it, and for the entry of an amended final decree relating to the distribution of the marital estate which is consistent with this opinion. GRAY, NELSON, HUNT and LEAPHART, JJ., concur.