Opinion ID: 2626169
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: The District Court's Denial of Mother's Contempt Petition

Text: [¶ 38] Mother asserts that the district court erred in denying her contempt petition after finding that she failed to meet her burden of proving that Father was in contempt for violating the Decree in the following respects: (1) Father's refusal to communicate with Mother regarding the provision in the agreement requiring that the parties submit to mediation concerning custody and visitation determinations after the custody agreement expired or to participate in mediation in good faith; (2) Father's failure and refusal to allow make-ups of lost visitations, especially during Memorial Day and Labor Day holidays; and, (3) Father's instruction to school personnel to not communicate with Mother concerning the children. [¶ 39] Mother first assigns error or an abuse of discretion by the district court in finding that Father participated in mediation in good faith and that he did not willfully violate the Decree. Mother contends that in 2005, and again in December 2007, she directly contacted Father to inquire about setting up the mediation process in anticipation of the expiration of the shared custody plan. Mediation was not addressed between them prior to February 12, 2008, when Mother filed her contempt petition. Father could not have violated the Decree before February 12, 2008, since the unambiguous intent of the parties was, [a]t the end of the term of this agreement, if the parties are unable to agree regarding custodial arrangements after July 15, 2008, they will submit the matter to mediation before returning to the Court. [¶ 40] The OTSC issued on February 12, 2008, required Father to appear before the district court on May 5, 2008. The contempt petition and the OTSC were served upon Father on February 13, 2008. Pursuant to a stipulated court order filed before Father made his initial appearance on the OTSC in May, mediation was ultimately scheduled for, and held on, June 5, 2008. [¶ 41] Although the mediation process was not successful, the trial court later found that Father participated in good faith. Adding weight to the trial court's finding that Father participated in mediation in good faith were the following facts: (1) Father nominated a mediator; (2) Father stipulated to a court order scheduling mediation prior to his appearance on the OTSC; (3) Father stipulated to the order scheduling the mediation to take place over one month before the expiration of the shared custody plan; (4) Father was represented by counsel before, and during, the mediation; and, (5) Father participated in mediation even though the shared custody arrangement had not yet expired. [¶ 42] Next, Mother disputes that the record supports the district court's finding that Father did not violate the Decree by failing and refusing to allow make-ups of lost visitations, especially during Memorial Day and Labor Day holidays. To the contrary, the record is replete with testimony by both parties that each party has accommodated extra visitation times to allow for the circumstances and for the benefit of the children. Specifically, Father allowed Mother's requests for extra visitation when her family came to town; Father left the children with Mother during the day in summer while he was working, instead of leaving the children with a childcare provider, because she was off work in the summer; and, there were other infrequent requests by Mother to have the children during Father's visitation periods which he allowed. [¶ 43] The record highlighted an unintended consequence resulting in some lost visitation by Mother because the weekends of Memorial Day and Labor Day were not considered holidays under the original shared custody and visitation plan. The district court did not view this consequence as rising to the level of contemptuous conduct on the part of Father due to the structure of the underlying custody and visitation plan. Instead, the district court modified the custody arrangement to include provision for splitting those holiday weekends between the parties. [¶ 44] Mother's last contention that Father engaged in conduct violating the Decree relates to her claim that he instructed school personnel to not communicate with Mother concerning the children. The related testimony and evidence shows that in October 2007, one of the children's teachers contacted Mother to request a special meeting about the child's educational issues. The teacher specifically asked Mother if she would notify Father about the meeting, and Mother agreed to do so. For unknown reasons, Father was not informed of the meeting until after it occurred. He then sent the teacher an email which stated, I would like to reiterate my request for notification of both [Mother] and I when you or any other concerned party deems it necessary for a dialogue with or about either [CJMZ] or [NEZ]. The affected teacher testified that this email was not interpreted as an attempt by Father to restrict or interfere with any communications about the children with Mother. In actuality, there was no impact upon the free flow of communication between Mother and the teacher. The teacher merely understood this email to be a request by Father to be specifically included, along with Mother, in matters pertaining to the educational issues involving the parties' children. The district court concluded that Father did not forbid school personnel from communicating with Mother. [¶ 45] In sum, the record contains ample support for the findings of the trial court that: (1) Mother did not meet her burden of proof in showing that Father was in contempt for disobeying the Decree; (2) Father had not repeatedly refused to allow Mother to recover lost time with the children, and each party had allowed the other extra time in accordance with the best interests of the children; (3) Father had not forbidden school personnel from communicating with Mother, he had only asked that he be included in any major teacher conference; (4) neither party had willfully denied custodial nor visitation rights of the other; (5) Father had participated in mediation in good faith; and, (6) there had not been willful violations of court orders by either party.