Opinion ID: 6494607
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: A.A.’s Petition for Joint Custody

Text: A.A. filed a petition for joint custody in the family court in May 2014, seeking joint legal and joint 50/50 actual physical custody of Child pursuant to HRS § 571-46(a)(2). 1 A.A.’s petition alleged that he had de facto joint custody of Child “in a stable and wholesome home” and that he was “a fit and proper person to have care, custody, and control of the minor child.” The family court held an initial hearing on A.A.’s petition for joint custody in June 2014. 2 At the June healing, the court noted that there were no disputed facts in the case and that the issue was whether B.B. has the absolute right to dictate who can have custody of the minor child. During the evidentiary hearing held in October, B.B. offered Dr. Jennifer L. De Costa as “an expert in the field of family behaviors and in the relationship of children with their families.” 3 A.A. objected to Dr. De Costa’s qualification as an expert, asserting that she should be qualified as a marriage and family counselor; the family court concluded that Dr. De Costa was an expert in the field of family behavior and relationships as it relates to children and families. On direct examination, Dr. De Costa testified extensively about B.B.’s teenage son. Dr. De Costa was permitted to testify over A.A.’s objection that she saw a correlation between depressive symptoms exhibited by B.B.’s son and interactions with A.A.; she discussed this correlation in reference to B.B.’s son’s performance on tests used to measure depression and anxiety. Dr. De Costa also testified regarding her counseling and treatment of Child. B.B.’s counsel requested Dr. De Costa to assume that A.A. had an anger management problem and asked her to offer an opinion as to whether she would have any concerns of Child having a custodial relationship with A.A. A.A. objected to the testimony on the basis that the hypothetical question assumed facts not in evidence. 4 Dr, De Costa was permitted to opine that she would have concerns about Child having a relationship with A.A. Dr. De Costa was also asked whether Child would be harmed from termination of the relationship with A.A,; she testified, “This is a hard one. But I don’t—right now, where she’s at, I don’t think so.” A.A. offered Dr. Jamuna Wyss, a clinical psychologist, as an expert on parent-child psychological relationships and parenting styles. Dr. Wyss indicated that A.A. and B.B. attended couples therapy with him beginning in October 2013 and that A.A. continued to be his client in individual therapy. Dr. Wyss gave a favorable opinion regarding AA. as a parent and the home he provided for Child. Dr. Wyss also testified regarding the consequences when parent-child relationships are terminated, opining that there was a likelihood that termination of the relationship between A.A. and Child would result in “immediate-term and long-term damaging psychological consequences” to Child. A.A.’s counsel also attempted to enter into evidence a clinical note of Dr. Wyss’s related to sex-abuse allegations involving A.A. The court did not accept the note into evidence and did not allow Dr. Wyss to testify regarding the allegation because it was outside the scope of Dr. Wyss’s report. However, Dr. Wyss was permitted to testify that he was aware of sex-abuse allegations involving A.A. and that he did not believe that A.A. posed a threat of abuse to Child, “be it sexual, physical, or emotional abuse or neglect.” On December 11, 2014, the family court entered its “Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law; Order/Final Judgment” denying A.A’s petition for joint custody. The family court characterized the main issue as follows: “[I]n a State where the parties can get married or can become a civil union partnership, if they choose not to, ... should [A.A.] be afforded standing to claim what is known as a ‘psychological father.’” The court concluded that A.A. did not have standing as Child’s “psychological father” because the parties were not married. Although the family court determined that HRS § 571-46 applied, which allows a custody award to a person who demonstrates de facto custody of a child, the court concluded that A.A. failed to demonstrate “by strict scrutiny a compelling state interest as to why this ‘de facto’ section should apply to him when in fact the parties were not married, and when the options of civil union or marriage were available.” 5