Opinion ID: 2463838
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The length of time the children have lived in a stable, satisfactory environment and the desirability of maintaining continuity

Text: The superior court found that the fifth factor of stability and continuity favored Taunya. The court found that the boys have done well in Taunya's primary care. It found that the only area where the boys are reported to have difficulty is in their relationship with their mother and this difficulty can be specifically attributed to Bill's negative leadership. The child custody investigator found that the children were doing well in school, though they were having some difficulty making friends in North Dakota. At the hearing, Taunya noted that she has many family connections in North Dakota. Taunya also characterizes Bill's home as newly formed and riddled with conflict and notes that Bill also moved away from Fairbanks, where the boys had been raised since birth. Bill disputes the existence of Taunya's positive track record. Bill notes that, at the time of the custody hearing, Taunya had had school-year custody for only one year, whereas Bill and Taunya had previously shared custody in Alaska for two years. Bill also argues that the North Dakota arrangement was so recent that it could not be relied on for purposes of establishing continuity. Bill notes that the children spent their whole lives prior to the move in Alaska and that Taunya had family in Anchorage. We have explained that the stability and continuity factor is not limited to geographic continuity and stability, but instead encompasses the totality of the circumstances [the children] were likely to encounter in their respective parents' homes. [10] Given this broad inquiry, we conclude there was sufficient evidence to support the superior court's finding on this factor.