Opinion ID: 1652069
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: whether the lower court erred in granting appellee a divorce on grounds of habitual cruel and inhuman treatment?

Text: ¶ 4. The scope of review by this Court in domestic relations appeals is limited by the substantial evidence/manifest error rule. Magee v. Magee, 661 So.2d 1117, 1122 (Miss. 1995). `This Court will not disturb the findings of a chancellor unless the chancellor was manifestly wrong, clearly erroneous or an erroneous legal standard was applied.' Id. (quoting Bell v. Parker, 563 So.2d 594, 596-97 (Miss.1990)). Additionally, this Court views the facts in a light most favorable to the appellee, Ms. Labella. See Rawson v. Buta, 609 So.2d 426, 429 (Miss.1992). This Court will take her testimony and evidence at its best. Jones v. Jones, 532 So.2d 574, 578 (Miss.1988). ¶ 5. The issue before this Court is whether there was sufficient evidence for the chancellor to grant Jean a divorce on the grounds of cruel and inhuman treatment. In order to justify divorce on grounds of habitual cruel and inhuman treatment, the treatment must be so continuous and of such nature that the offended spouse can no longer live with the other spouse on account of that treatment and, therefore, separates herself from that spouse. Gallaspy v. Gallaspy, 459 So.2d 283, 285 (Miss.1984). It is apparent that Jean cannot live with David any longer, primarily because of the repeated instances of physical abuse. The chancellor found that the parties lived in a continued state of marital conflict and that numerous physical confrontations occurred between David and Jean. The conduct of David appeared from the record to be so unnatural and infamous as to make the marriage revolting to the non-offending spouse and render it impossible for that spouse to discharge the duties of marriage, thus destroying the basis for its continuance. See Hassett v. Hassett, 690 So.2d 1140, 1146 (Miss.1997). ¶ 6. This divorce boils down to Jean's word against David's word. Jean did provide corroboration of physical abuse through photographs and the testimony of her father, Jacob Pongetti. There is sufficient evidence in the record for this Court to affirm the chancellor as to this issue.