Opinion ID: 1433807
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Did the Superior Court Abuse Its Discretion by Denying Acevedo's Motion to Modify Visitation without First Conducting an Evidentiary Hearing?

Text: Modification of a visitation order requires a showing that there has been a change in circumstances and that the modification will be in the best interests of the child. See AS 25.20.110(a); see also Carter v. Brodrick, 816 P.2d 202, 204 (Alaska 1991). The moving party bears the burden of demonstrating changed circumstances. See Carter, 816 P.2d at 204 (citing S.N.E. v. R.L.B., 699 P.2d 875, 878 (Alaska 1985)). The change in circumstances required for modification of visitation rights .. . need not rise to the level sufficient to warrant a change of custody. Hermosillo v. Hermosillo, 797 P.2d 1206, 1209 (Alaska 1990). If the moving party satisfies the threshold requirement of establishing a change in circumstances, that party is entitled to an evidentiary hearing after which the court will determine whether the proposed changes in the visitation are in the best interests of the child. See A.H., 896 P.2d at 244 (citation omitted). Acevedo argues that the court erred in finding that he had failed to show a substantial change in circumstances that would have entitled him to an evidentiary hearing to determine whether modification of the visitation order was in Amanda's best interests. He contends that Liberty's move from Bethel to Fairbanks, coupled with the restrictive nature of the supervised visitation schedule, constituted a change in circumstances because the court-ordered schedule of three supervised afternoon or evening visits a week was no longer practical. He also claims that his living situation has changed [2] and that he has successfully completed an anger management program. [3] Generally, [e]xisting visitation arrangements assume that the parents will continue to live in the same geographic area, and thus will require modification and change when distances increase between the child and the noncustodial parent. House v. House, 779 P.2d 1204, 1207 (Alaska 1989). We have held that a custodial parent's decision to move out-of-state amounts to a change in circumstances as a matter of law. See id. at 1207-08. A custodial parent's instate move of a considerable distance certainly ... presents a factor that the court should include in its changed circumstances analysis. Long v. Long, 816 P.2d 145, 152 (Alaska 1991). In Long, we considered whether in the aggregate a variety of factors including the custodial parent's impending move from Anchorage to Juneau could reasonably constitute a change in circumstances. [4] Id. at 153; cf. Nichols v. Mandelin, 790 P.2d 1367, 1372 n. 15 (Alaska 1990) (addressing a variety of factors in determining whether longstanding changes in noncustodial parent's lifestyle had satisfied the change in circumstances test). In the present case, Liberty's move from Bethel to Fairbanks makes it virtually impossible for Acevedo to visit Amanda during the times specified in the visitation order. Visitation is further complicated by the need to arrange supervision in accordance with the order. Viewing all of the factors raised by Acevedo in the aggregate, we conclude that he has made a sufficient showing of changed circumstances and that the superior court abused its discretion in denying him an evidentiary hearing. We therefore reverse and remand to the superior court to determine whether modifying the visitation order would be in Amanda's best interests. [5]