Opinion ID: 2000657
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: trial court's use of sole custody worksheet to calculate support in joint custody case

Text: In the original decree of dissolution, the trial court approved the parties' stipulation whereby Paul had physical custody of the children approximately 40 percent of the time and Ann had physical custody the remainder of the time, and the court awarded Paul and Ann joint legal custody of both of their children. As noted above, at trial on the parties' respective motions for modification, Paul presented uncontroverted evidence that he had physical custody of both children 38 to 40 percent of the time, and he requested that the trial court calculate child support using worksheet 3, the joint custody worksheet included in the guidelines. The trial court failed to do so and instead adopted child support figures based on Ann's sole custody worksheet and deviated therefrom, stating in the written order that the deviation was to accommodate the substantial amounts of time the children spend with Respondent [Paul]. On appeal, Paul claims that he presented sufficient evidence to prove that he had both joint legal and joint physical custody of his children and that the trial court erred in failing to use a joint physical custody formula to calculate Paul's child support obligation. We agree.