Opinion ID: 895835
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Child Support Abatement and Effective Date

Text: [¶ 14] The motion to amend the divorce decree to establish child support was filed on February 5, 1996. The hearing on the motion was held on April 30, 1996. The trial court's findings and order were entered on September 9, 1996, and the amended judgment was entered on October 7, 1996. The trial court ordered child support payments to begin on July 1, 1996, explaining: Ordinarily, it would have been the Finding of this Court that the child support payments would be effective as of May 1, 1996. However, since by the term[s] of a previous amended judgment, [Edwards] is entitled to the child for a minimum of 8 weeks, or approximately two months every summer; the Court will give [Edwards] credit for the two months for the summer of 1996 by making the effective date of this Order July 1, 1996. The Court finds that when there are extended visitation rights in the summer months exceeding 30 days, obligor is entitled to some relief from child support payment obligations. In the instant case, the Court finds that [Edwards] should be allowed at least one month credit on his child support obligation. [¶ 15] Blore asserts the trial court erred by providing an abatement of Edwards' support obligation to compensate for Ciara's summer visitations with Edwards. The child support guidelines contemplate that child support payments are to be made by the non-custodial parent to the custodial parent. Dalin v. Dalin, 545 N.W.2d 785, 789 (N.D.1996). The guidelines expressly prohibit an abatement for temporary periods in which the child resides with the non-custodial parent. N.D.A.C. § 75-02-04.1-02(2) provides: 75-02-04.1-02. Determination of support amountGeneral instructions.       2. Calculations assume that the care given to the child during temporary periods when the child resides with the obligor or the obligor's relatives do not substitute for the child support obligation. The trial court erred in providing an abatement of Edwards' child support obligation for Ciara's temporary summer visits with him. [¶ 16] Blore asserts the trial court abused its discretion by delaying the effective date of the support payments until July 1996. Blore wants Edwards' support obligation to begin September 1995, when Ciara began living with Blore for most of the time, or, in the alternative, to begin February 1996 when the motion for support was filed. The effective date for modification of child support depends upon the facts of each case. Smith v. Smith, 538 N.W.2d 222, 228 (N.D.1995). The trial court may make its order modifying child support effective on the date the motion was filed, any date the motion was pending, the date the court issued its order, or some later date. Schleicher v. Schleicher, 551 N.W.2d 766, 770 (N.D.1996). The trial court's decision on the effective date is subject to review under an abuse of discretion standard. Id. [¶ 17] The trial court delayed the effective date of Edwards' support payments to July 1, 1996, explaining that May 1, 1996 would be an appropriate date, but the court would provide Edwards a two-month credit for Ciara's 1996 summer visits. The court's reasoning was clearly a misapplication of the guidelines. The original divorce decree contemplated each party would have physical custody of Ciara for an equal amount of time and, therefore, neither parent was ordered to pay child support. However, the parties agree Ciara began living most of the time with Blore as of September 1995, when Ciara started school. Under the guidelines, Blore then became the custodial parent. N.D.A.C. § 75-02-04.1-01(4). The trial court must apply its discretion according to the facts. Under these circumstances, and without any proper reason for a contrary effective date, we conclude it was an abuse of discretion for the trial court to delay the beginning of Edwards' support payments later than February 1996, the month in which the motion to begin support payments was filed, because there was a clear duty to support, but no support payments were being made. [¶ 18] We reverse the judgment of the district court and remand with directions the court enter an order for judgment requiring Edwards to pay child support for Ciara of $733 per month, commencing February 1, 1996. [¶ 19] MESCHKE, SANDSTROM and NEUMANN, JJ., concur.