Opinion ID: 1697830
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Which Parent Possesses the Best Parenting Skills and Which Has the Willingness and Capacity to Provide Primary Child Care.

Text: ¶ 37. Jane alleges that the chancellor erred in finding that Tom was favored as the parent who had the best parenting skills and willingness and/or capacity to be the primary care giver for Catherine. The chancellor found that: [f]rom the evidence and testimony, [Catherine] is well taken care of by Husband and she is kept on a regular daily schedule and routine. Testimony was presented that while residing with Wife, the child was not kept on a regular routine, went to bed at irregular hours, and struggled with her kindergarten work to the point that she was promoted only on the condition that she attend summer tutoring. The testimony further showed that while residing with Husband, the child has all A's and B's, that she is worked with at home with regard to her school work. The Court must find that Husband is favored. Jane argues that the chancellor failed to consider the fact that she had been Catherine's primary caregiver from her birth until Tom took Catherine (at her request) in October of 2001. She also claims that the only period in which the care she provided for Catherine was less than ideal was from approximately the fall of 2001 until June of 2002 when she admittedly used drugs. She argues that the chancellor was wrong to base his finding that she was an irresponsible parent solely on events that occurred during one nine-month period of Catherine's life, when there was no other evidence of problems in Catherine's life either before or since the short period that Jane admitted using drugs. Jane additionally notes that the chancellor did not address the willingness and capacity of the parties to provide primary care for Catherine. ¶ 38. Tom rebuts Jane's argument by noting that the chancellor's finding was supported by evidence introduced in open court and argues that the chancellor was correct to base his finding on events during the period that Jane was using drugs, as this evidence tends to show that he was more capable of providing Catherine with a safe, stable environment than Jane. ¶ 39. The record supports the chancellor's finding that Tom keeps Catherine on a daily routine and schedule. Tom testified that Catherine has a regular bed time of 8:30 p.m. during the school year. This testimony was corroborated by Jackie Tucker and Kim Swindoll, who also testified that Catherine is regularly up by 7:00 a.m. when she is with Tom. The chancellor's finding that Catherine got good grades and had help with her schoolwork when in Tom's care was based on Tom's testimony that Catherine concluded her first-grade year with straight A's and that he helped her study at night. Catherine's first grade teacher, Kay Hill, also testified as to Catherine making A's and B's in her class. ¶ 40. The chancellor also found that when Catherine was with Jane, she did not have a regular routine and struggled in kindergarten. This finding was supported by Catherine's kindergarten teacher, Laurie Ann Evans, who testified that Catherine struggled during her second semester, she was occasionally late, and she sometimes failed to have her homework done when Jane brought her to school. Jackie Tucker, who lived with Jane for a while after Tom and Jane were separated, testified that although Jane provided care for Catherine, there was drinking, partying, and drug use going on in the house while Catherine was there (though not in front of Catherine). ¶ 41. The chancellor's factual finding that Tom provided a more stable environment was supported by credible evidence in the record. Jane complains that the chancellor discounted the care she provided to Catherine prior to using drugs and the strides she has made in her personal life since abstaining from drug use. While we note that Jane's efforts to reform were admirable, we find the chancellor did not abuse his discretion in making this finding. As this Court has repeatedly stated, it will not disturb a chancellor's factual findings unless they are manifestly wrong, clearly erroneous or the chancellor abused his discretion. Hollon, 784 So.2d at 946.