Opinion ID: 1230108
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Trial Court's Consideration of Purportedly Improper Factors

Text: Marie next contends that, even if the evidence was sufficient to support the trial court's finding that she and Don would be equally capable of providing for the children's needs under the criteria set out in AS 25.24.150(c), the court erred in relying on impermissible non-statutory factors to tip the balance in Don's favor. In its findings of fact and conclusions of law, the trial court stated: The Court finds, based upon the facts and statutory factors as listed above, that the primary physical custody of the children during the school year should be vested in [Don]. The Court makes this finding based upon two primary factors. The first of these is that the children will remain residing in the family residence. The second and more important factor is that [Marie] has remarried a military man and has moved into a home where there are two other children. The Court finds that, all other factors being fairly equal, the fact that the children would be moving into a situation where they would have to adjust to two other children tips the scale in favor of primary physical custody being with the father during the school year. Marie argues that the trial court abused its discretion in basing its decision on these two factors. She points out that, among the eight specific factors that must be addressed in determining the best interests of a child under AS 25.24.150(c), factor (c)(5) requires the court to consider the length of time the child has lived in a stable, satisfactory environment and the desirability of maintaining continuity. Marie reasons that the trial court's reliance on the desirability of allowing the children to remain in the family dwelling and on the undesirability of forcing them to adjust to a new family setting was tantamount to considering the parties' ability to provide the children with a stable, satisfactory environment, as provided for under factor (c)(5). Marie argues that, because the trial court had already determined that she and Don were equally situated with respect to factor (c)(5), its subsequent reliance on essentially the same factor to support awarding custody to Don was contradictory. We agree with Marie that the desirability of keeping the Evans children in the family residence and the undesirability of requiring them to adjust to a new family setting were factors that the trial court could properly have considered in addressing AS 25.24.150(c)(5). See, e.g., Craig v. McBride, 639 P.2d 303, 305 (Alaska 1982). The record nevertheless reveals that the court did not actually address these issues when it addressed factor (c)(5). Regarding this statutory factor, the court found: Since the separation the children have been in a stable and satisfactory environment fifty percent of the time in each parent's homes and thus the Court finds there is nothing to discriminate between the parties in regard to this factor. The parties believe and the Court finds that it is important to provide some stability in the children's living situation. The trial court's finding makes it clear that, in addressing factor (c)(5), the court focused on the narrow question of Don's and Marie's respective abilities to maintain stable and satisfactory relations between themselves and the children following separation. It was only in this narrow respect, the stability of the children's environment in relation to each parent, that the trial court purported to find Don and Marie equally situated under factor (c)(5). Upon later returning to the issue of stability, the court broadened its consideration to encompass the children's more general needs for stability in their overall living environment; the court evaluated the children's needs, not just in relation to each parent, but in relation to the totality of the circumstances they were likely to encounter in their respective parents' homes. In this context, the court's reliance on the desirability of the children's continued placement with Don in the family residence, and on the undesirability of forcing their adjustment to a new family setting with Marie neither duplicated nor contradicted the court's prior determination of relative equality under factor (c)(5). The fact that the trial court could have taken account of the children's overall stability in addressing factor (c)(5), but did not actually do so, had no bearing on the validity of the court's ultimate decision in this case, since the court could and did properly consider the same circumstances under paragraph (c)(9) of AS 25.24.150(c). This paragraph vested the court with broad authority to address, in addition to the specific factors articulated in paragraphs (c)(1) through (c)(8), all other factors that the court consider[ed] pertinent. As we have emphasized in previous cases, a trial court's determination of the best interests of a child in an initial custody proceeding should be based on  all relevant factors including those enumerated in AS 25.24.150(c). McDanold v. McDanold, 718 P.2d at 469 (quoting McClain v. McClain, 716 P.2d 381 (Alaska 1986)). As long as the record establishes, as it does here, that the trial court did in fact properly consider all relevant factors, the specific statutory rubric the court invoked in the course of its consideration is inconsequential. Marie further argues, however, that the trial court abused its discretion in deeming the children's ability to remain in the family residence to be a pivotal factor in awarding custody. Marie points out that Don was awarded custody of the house because it had belonged to him before the marriage. Marie claims that, because Don was awarded the house as a result of circumstances that were beyond her control and that were unrelated to Don's ability to be a competent parent, the court should not have been allowed to make Don's occupancy of the home play a decisive role in awarding custody. In support of this argument, Marie cites Craig v. McBride, 639 P.2d 303 (Alaska 1982). Yet that case actually defeats Marie's argument. In Craig, we held that the trial court, in assessing the relative stability of the parties under AS 24.25.150(c)(5), could properly consider the fact that the father had lived in the same town for many years, earning broad community respect, as well as the fact that the mother had only recently attempted to create a stable home environment. Id. at 305. To the extent Craig has a bearing on the present case, it indicates that the trial court acted properly in considering, as a factor in awarding custody, the added stability the Evans children would enjoy if they remained in the family residence. Nor do we perceive any other ground for concluding that the trial court acted impermissibly in basing its determination of custody on the two non-statutory factors at issue here  the added stability the Evans children might gain from continuing to live in their family residence and the potential instability they might suffer from being uprooted immediately following the divorce. Contrary to Marie's arguments on appeal, the court did not give these factors disproportionate significance over other relevant factors; rather, it emphasized that they were determinative only because the parties were equally qualified to have custody of the children in all other respects. Furthermore, the prominent role the court assigned to these factors does not, as Marie contends, reflect the court's reliance on the questionable assumption that children whose parents divorce should generally remain in the family residence; instead, the court's decision appears to have been based on case-specific evidence demonstrating Jon Paul's and Portia's actual need for physical and emotional continuity and stability in their overall living situation. [3] Under the circumstances of the present case, the trial court did not abuse its discretion in considering the potentially undesirable emotional consequences that Jon Paul and Portia might have suffered had they been required to adjust to the changed family environment of Marie's new marital residence. [4]