Opinion ID: 2600598
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Independent Action to Set Aside Judgment

Text: On September 1, 2005, Mom filed this action pro se, seeking to set aside all orders entered in the custody action during the period from September 2004 through January 2005, because of alleged fraud upon the court. Those orders were: the order entered on September 1, 2004, ordering Mom to return Devon to Dad's custody; the order entered on September 2, 2004, awarding Dad sole legal and physical custody of the children until further order of the court; the memorandum opinion and order entered on November 29, 2004; and the order filed December 27, 2004, amending the child custody provisions of the divorce decree. Mom named as defendants Dad and his attorney, Stanley Welsh. On September 26, 2005, Mom retained counsel to represent her in this action. Five months later her attorney was suspended from practicing law, and Mom then retained her current attorney. Because Mom has abandoned on appeal some of the allegations she made in the trial court, her specific allegations of fraud upon the court will be discussed in more detail in the analysis portion of this opinion. The district court granted the Defendants' motion for summary judgment and dismissed this action. It also awarded Dad attorney fees in the sum of $9,840.28 pursuant to Idaho Code § 12-121. Mom then timely appealed.