Opinion ID: 2109237
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Father's Conduct

Text: We must next consider whether the court below was correct in finding that, in any event, the father was not entitled to relief because of his unclean hands. The mother argues that under Voichoskie v. Voichoskie, 215 Neb. 775, 340 N.W.2d 442 (1983), appeal after remand 219 Neb. 670, 365 N.W.2d 467 (1985), the father's failure to pay child support in the past bars him from now seeking support from her. In Voichoskie, the former husband sought to reduce the amount of support he had been previously ordered to pay. At the time he sought modification, he was in arrears on his child support payments. We determined that the doctrine of unclean hands could be invoked to bar the former husband's claim for relief only if the evidence showed that he was able to pay the arrearages but nevertheless failed to or was unable to pay through some intentional conduct on his part. Voichoskie is inapposite. In the present case, the father is not currently delinquent in child support payments; he paid the arrearage as required by the parties' settlement agreement. Moreover, it was not shown that the father's failure to pay alimony for the past year was intentional. Unlike the situation in Voichoskie, wherein the former husband sought a reduction in the amount of child support he was required to pay, the father here seeks child support from the mother not for his own benefit but for the benefit of the children. There is no question but that child support payments are to be used for the benefit of the child on whose behalf they are paid. Gordon v. Gordon, 231 Neb. 857, 438 N.W.2d 762 (1989). Thus, the important consideration is not whether the father is at fault but, instead, the needs and best interests of the children. See Wagner v. Wagner, 224 Neb. 155, 396 N.W.2d 282 (1986).