Opinion ID: 900500
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Harmful Parental Misconduct

Text: [¶ 31.] Where there is no evidence that a parent's marital misconduct has a harmful effect on a child, it should not be taken into account in awarding custody. Hanks, 296 N.W.2d at 525; SDCL 25-4-45.1. On the other hand, when marital misconduct has a demonstrable effect on the child, the fitness of the culpable parent is brought into question. Madson v. Madson, 313 N.W.2d 42, 43-44 (S.D.1981); Haak v. Haak, 323 N.W.2d 128, 130 (S.D.1982). Furthermore, the harmful effect is self-evident when parental misconduct is committed in the presence of a child old enough to perceive the misconduct. Wolff v. Wolff, 349 N.W.2d 656, 658 (S.D.1984); Nauman v. Nauman, 336 N.W.2d 662, 664 (S.D.1983) (although court did not condone mother's practice of living with boyfriend, change of custody question was moot after mother married him); Rivers v. Rivers, 322 N.W.2d 864, 865 (S.D.1982) (modification of visitation proper because father's practice of living with a woman contradicted religious values mother was trying to teach child). The court found that Jill permitted her boyfriend to stay at her home overnight. The court specifically questioned the moral message this might impress on Keith and his sister. But this factor, like the others, is only one indicator in a matrix of considerations. See generally Van Driel v. Van Driel, 525 N.W.2d 37, 39 (S.D.1994). It still must be balanced with all other factors and with the other parent's benefits and shortcomings.