Opinion ID: 6494786
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Child Support Arrears

Text: In addition to contending that the family court erred because it failed to use the Guidelines, Father argues that the ICA also erred when it upheld the family court’s ruling setting support at $ 3,500 per month as of February 1, 2011. Mother and Father each testified at trial that they agreed to a reduction in child support in February 2011, and Father has not contested the validity of the 2011 Agreement on appeal. The family court found in its Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law that the parties agreed to reduce child support to $3,500 in February 2011, and this finding is supported by substantial evidence and not clearly erroneous. Further, appellate courts are required to “give full play to the right of the fact finder to determine credibility,” State v. Valdivia, 95 Hawai'i 465, 471, 24 P.3d 661, 667 (2001) (quoting State v. Jenkins, 93 Hawai'i 87, 99, 997 P.2d 13, 25 (2000)), and the family court’s finding that Father’s testimony regarding a reduction of support in late 2012 was not credible is supported by substantial evidence and not clearly erroneous. Father also agreed in the Pretrial Order to pay $ 3,500 per month in child support pending resolution of the parties’ motions at mediation or trial. We therefore affirm the family court’s Arrears Order calculating Father’s past due child support as $ 64,490 through and including January 2015.