Opinion ID: 2342308
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Award of Child Support

Text: In his final point on appeal, Bean argues that if this court determines that the chancellor did not err in finding that he is M.N.'s father, the chancellor did err in awarding child support from the date of the filing of the complaint. Again, Bean argues this point using Ark.Code Ann. § 9-10-115(d) which provides, in part, that: If the court determines, based upon the results of scientific testing, that the adjudicated or presumed father is not the biological father, the court shall, upon request of an adjudicated or presumed father, set aside a previous finding of paternity and relieve the adjudicated or presumed father of any future obligation of support or any back child support as authorized under § 9-14-234 as of the date of the entry of the judgment. Bean argues first that the chancery court erred in failing to set aside the acknowledgment of paternity signed by Nichols and, therefore, there was no statutory compliance because Nichols did not request to have that acknowledgment set aside. Second, Bean argues that the 1995 version of this statute (above) states that the change in child-support responsibility will not go into effect until the entry of the order by the chancellor setting aside the original acknowledgment of paternity. Bean relies upon the modification provisions of Ark.Code Ann. § 9-10-115. However, those provisions are not relevant to Bean's child-support obligation because the action filed against him is an original action rather than a modification. Given the possibility of an award from the date of the child's birth, the chancellor's decision to award support from the date of the complaint was not clearly erroneous. In response, CSEU argues that because paternity was never established in Nichols, either by adjudication or by his signing the Affidavit of Birth Out of Wedlock (since Act 1091 of 1995 cannot be applied retroactively), there has never been a finding of paternity for the court to set aside under Ark.Code Ann. § 9-10-115. Therefore, Ark.Code Ann. § 9-10-111 (Supp.1995), which allows the chancery court to award support from as early as the date of the birth of the child, applies. The statute states: (a) If it is found by the chancery court that the accused is the father of the child and, if claimed by the mother, the chancery court or chancellor shall give judgment for a monthly sum of not less than ten dollars ($10.00) per month for every month from the birth of the child until the child attains the age of eighteen (18) years. Here, the trial court had the option to award past support from M.N.'s birth forward, but chose instead to award past support from the date of the filing of the complaint against Bean to the time the judgment was entered. This decision was made contrary to both parties' requests, as Bean, of course, argued that support should begin with the entry of the judgment, and CSEU argued that support should begin from M.N.'s date of birth forward. Because the chancellor could have awarded support from M.N.'s date of birth, his decision to award support from the date of the filing of the complaint was not clearly erroneous. In conclusion, because CSEU's claim against Bean is actually an original action to establish paternity, as opposed to an action to modify a paternity order under Ark.Code Ann. § 9-10-115, the judge correctly found that Bean is M.N.'s father pursuant to Ark.Code Ann. § 9-10-108(a)(6)(B). This section of the statute states: If the results of the paternity tests conducted pursuant to subdivision (a)(2) of this section establish a ninety-five percent (95%) or more probability of inclusion that the putative father is the biological father of the child, after corroborating testimony concerning the conception, birth, and history of the child, such shall constitute a prima facie case of establishment of paternity, and the burden of proof shall shift to the putative father to rebut such proof. Here, two paternity tests established that Bean is M.N.'s father. Those tests, along with the corroborating evidence offered by Hale and the other witnesses at trial, constituted a prima facie case of the establishment of paternity. As such, the burden shifted to Bean to rebut that evidence, which he attempted to do by offering the Affidavit of Birth Out of Wedlock and birth certificate as evidence of Nichols's parentage of M.N. However, under law the applicable when Nichols executed those documents, they constituted presumptive evidence of paternity only, not conclusive evidence. Taking all of the evidence into account, the chancellor determined that Bean did not rebut the presumption that he is M.N.'s father. The chancellor's decision was not clearly erroneous. Affirmed.