Opinion ID: 1995800
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Marie's Dependency.

Text: Upon our de novo review of the record, we find the following facts, granting due deference to the trial court's credibility determinations. At the time of trial, Marie was twenty years old. She was in good physical health; however, the state of her mental health was disputed. Marie is autistic and the Social Security Administration has held that she is disabled under federal disability rules for adults. Thus, Marie qualifies for supplemental security income (SSI) payments and receives $530 per month in SSI benefits. Although Marie has been prescribed medication for her condition, she chose to quit taking it, deciding on her own that she did not need it. Marie lives with her mother, Jane. Jane serves as the payee for Marie's SSI payments and, with the approval of the federal authorities, receives $200 per month from these payments to cover rent and other living expenses for Marie. The balance of Marie's benefits is placed in one of her two bank accounts. Marie graduated from high school in a mainstream program. Although she was accepted at a community college, she did not attend. Marie has a driver's license and can drive a car, a motorcycle, and a tractor. She is capable of physical labor, having assisted her father in several small construction projects and having worked on her grandmother's farm. Marie has also done lawn work and picked apples on an occasional basis. In addition, she works as needed for an appliance repair business, repairing appliances in return for a share of the profit if the appliance is later sold. In the past, she has repaired bicycles and then sold them. For a short period of time she provided care for her grandmother, who had suffered a stroke. This care involved helping her grandmother to the bathroom, assisting in meals, and helping with medications. Marie worked for approximately three weeks and then suddenly quit because she could not bear the emotional strain of seeing her grandmother in that condition. Richard asserts that although Marie was not paid well for these jobs, they demonstrate her capabilities and her potential to be gainfully employed. He also criticizes Jane for not exploring programs that would assist Marie in independent living. Jane helps Marie in managing her money and paying her bills. Marie's own testimony showed that she did not have a full appreciation for the importance of money in meeting her needs. The evidence also showed that Marie's emotional health had deteriorated after her parent's divorce. She was forced to move with her mother out of the family home, a disturbing event that left her emotionally fragile. The trial judge, who was able to see Marie and judge for himself which parent accurately characterized Marie's capabilities, concluded that while Marie was polite and lucid, ... it [is] clear ... that [she] suffers limitations. As one of Richard's own witnesses observed, She doesn't communicate real well with people on a general basis. The trial court concluded, based on his observations during trial and based on the credible evidence, that Marie did not have the mental or emotional ability to be employed at a steady job. We agree with the district court and the court of appeals that Marie is not capable of gainful employment because of her disability. Although she is able to do physical labor, she has never been employed for more than two consecutive days. Other than payments by her father for her assistance on various building projects, Marie has only earned nominal sums. For example, she was paid in eggs, butter, and car repairs when she worked on her grandmother's farm, and she earned two dollars a day for yard work. These activities are a far cry from holding a regular job at a wage level that would contribute meaningfully to her financial needs. In addition to this evidence, we place substantial reliance on the trial court's ability to observe Marie, as well as the district court's implicit judgment with respect to the credibility of the witnesses who had differing views of Marie's capabilities. We have not overlooked Richard's argument that Jane has not done enough to encourage greater independence by Marie. To the extent Richard claims Marie should be encouraged to live on her own, we fail to see how the circumstances of Marie's living arrangements relate to her employability, which is the relevant consideration for purposes of determining child support. Although there may be some truth in the assertion that Jane has not pushed Marie to find a steady job, we reject Richard's contention that Jane is fostering Marie's dependence for Jane's financial gain. This argument was not even made until Richard filed his petition for further review and it does not enjoy support in the record. Moreover, given the emotional toll taken on Marie by her parents' divorce and her move from the family home, we do not criticize Jane for focusing first on rebuilding Marie's feelings of security and general emotional well-being. Our present view of the situation should not, however, be interpreted to mean that the absence of efforts by either parent to assist Marie in obtaining the life skills to become more financially independent and self-sufficient should not be considered by the court in any future modification proceeding. Having concluded that Marie cannot be gainfully employed at this time, we examine whether she has any outside sources of income to meet her needs. Marie receives just over $5700 in SSI benefits each year, but her estimated annual living expenses are nearly $9000. She is, therefore, in need of financial assistance from her parents. Consequently, Marie is a dependent adult child within the meaning of section 598.1(9). We now consider the level of support that her father should be required to contribute.