Opinion ID: 1155555
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Sufficiency of Factual Findings

Text: Civil Rule 52(a) requires the trial court to find the facts specially and state separately its conclusions of law. We have held that: A trial court's findings must be sufficiently detailed and explicit to give an appellate court a clear understanding of the ground on which the trial court reached its decision. If the trial court fails to provide such findings, this court will remand the case to the trial court for more specific findings. Sloan v. Jefferson, 758 P.2d 81, 86 (Alaska 1988) (citations omitted). The only finding of fact relevant to the child support award states: The testimony of the parties demonstrates a significant but not overriding economic disparity in the income [William] makes as opposed to the income [Catherine] makes. The only income [Catherine] makes is from hair styling and her income is less than that of [William]. The evidence demonstrated that [William] is the more qualified and able person in the business world. In aid of making this finding, the court has considered and relied in some degree upon the cross-examination of [William] and his answers in connection with exhibit number 12. Judge Reese must have adopted this finding as he made no new findings of fact. Once again without the trial transcript, it is impossible to fully interpret this finding. Nonetheless, we conclude that the finding, on its face, provides an insufficient basis for the support award. The mere references to the parties' relative financial positions fail to provide the raw numbers necessary for a Civil Rule 90.3 calculation. Also, not only was Judge Reese in a poor position to adopt Judge Ripley's credibility determinations, these determinations alone are unhelpful without a statement of what the factfinder believed the facts to be. Although the child support award itself indicates that Judge Reese accepted Catherine's assessment of each parties' income, the record indicates that the dispute over income escalated after the April 1990 trial and, more importantly, after the findings of fact were filed. Despite the apparent dispute over each parties' income, Judge Reese did not order a new evidentiary hearing or make specific findings to provide us with a clear understanding of the ground on which the court reached its decision. [7] Sloan, 758 P.2d at 86. We therefore remand this case for further findings and a recalculation of child support. Given the passage of time and the apparently unresolved factual issues regarding income, an evidentiary hearing on the matter is also appropriate. [8] The child support award is VACATED, and the case is REMANDED for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.