Opinion ID: 1880820
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Whether the child support award on remand was so excessive as to constitute an abuse of the chancellor's discretion.

Text: ¶ 23. Mitch argues that even if the chancellor made findings of fact that were sufficient to support a deviation from the statutory guidelines, the chancellor's ultimate child support award was excessive under the circumstances. He claims that the original monthly support award of $530, which was calculated as 20% of his adjusted gross income in 2001, should now be reduced because Jennifer is no longer a minor and Aimee is the only child who should be considered in determining the proper support award. He claims that the proper measure of support is $371 per month, a figure that represents 14% of his adjusted gross income. He argues that the $159 amount above $371 is excessive, especially in light of the fact that the chancellor also ordered Mitch to pay additional expenses, such as an automobile for Aimee and one-half of the costs for private school. ¶ 24. The monthly award of $530 was not excessive at the time the chancellor made the initial award because Mitch was responsible for supporting two minor children at the time. Were the chancellor solely limited to an analysis of Mitch's income at the time of the original trial, then his argument that $371 per month is now an appropriate measure of child support may have some merit. However, the chancellor is not so limited in what she may consider in rendering her decision and may consider any other relevant fact shown by the evidence. Cupit, 559 So.2d at 1037. The chancellor could have calculated her current award based on Mitch's adjusted gross income for either the year 2001 or 2002, which would yield a higher statutory award than the $530 per month that the chancellor ordered him to pay. [6] The chancellor did, however, consider this income in ultimately determining that it would be unfair to require Mitch to pay only enough child support to meet Aimee's minimum physical needs when Mr. Chesney has the financial ability to contribute to a portion of these expenses that he has previously paid for the older daughters. ¶ 25. Based on Mitch's reported income, the chancellor did not abuse her discretion in ordering Mitch to pay one-half of the expenses associated with Aimee's extracurricular activities and private schooling. The chancellor's mandate that Mitch provide a car for Aimee when she reaches driving age and obtains her license does go beyond the expenses normally contemplated in a child support award. However, the chancellor determined that Aimee should not be deprived of this privilege, afforded to her older sisters, merely because her parents are now divorced, especially when her father has the ability to meet this obligation. See Crow v. Crow, 622 So.2d 1226, 1229 (Miss. 1993) (obligating father to pay portion of college expenses as child support award which included some car costs). Though an automobile is not an expense which every parent can provide to his/her child, it is not an abuse of a chancellor's discretion to require a parent to purchase a vehicle where warranted by the circumstances in a particular case.