Court Opinion

ID: 9575575
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 21:14:57.846863+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:48:33.364579
License: Public Domain

ORDER ON PETITION FOR REHEARING
This court granted a Petition for Rehearing on the grounds set forth in paragraphs 5 through 11 of appellant’s Petition for Rehearing.
We find the issues of merit presented by the Petition for Rehearing are whether the trial judge erred in (1) holding that the case of McAlister v. Patterson, 278 S.C. 481,299 S.E. (2d) 322 (1982) created a presumption against the removal of a child from Charleston, South Carolina, to Georgetown, South Carolina, (2) failing to consider the separation of siblings as a relevant factor to be considered in awarding custody in this case and (3) failing to consider the mother’s remarriage and restoration of moral fitness as a factor to be considered in awarding custody.
We summarily reject the remaining contentions of the Petition.
FACTS
The mother and father were married on June 8,1980; their daughter, Paula, was born on August 24, 1982. For the first two years of Paula’s life, the mother was in medical school and a residency program. During this time she worked long, grueling hours, sometimes as many as 100 hours per week. Despite her hard work, the mother began an adulterous relationship with her present husband, Bill Richmond. She successfully concealed this adulterous relationship for a long *336time. This present action was instituted by the father on November 7,1984. A pendente lite order awarded custody to the mother, but this was changed in October 1985, to a joint custody arrangement.
The mother became pregnant by an adulterous relationship with her present husband in December 1985. She married her present husband in March 1986, shortly after the final divorce decree from the father.
Upon completion of her residency, the mother moved to Georgetown, South Carolina, to practice medicine as an OB/GYN. The mother testified that she intended to have a limited practice. She, however, states that she would make daily rounds at the hospital and have to schedule time for surgery, be available for emergencies and deliver babies. The mother intends to hire a live-in babysitter.
The father is in the oil business and has been so for the past ten years. His testimony is that he would continue living in the same house where Paula had her own bedroom and playroom and had lived for a large part of the previous two years. His testimony is that Paula could attend the same school, the same church and remain in the same neighborhood. The father’s home is spacious and in a good neighborhood near many of Paula’s first cousins and her paternal grandparents.
The appealed order awarded custody to the father on the basis that it was Paula’s best interest that custody be awarded the father. The appealed order, citing McAlister v. Patterson, supra, held “it appears to the Court that there is a presumption against removal of a child from his ‘familiar surroundings’ in a situation such as this----The presumption set forth in McAlister requires this Court to grant custody to the father even though without this presumption the Court would still find that it would be in Paula’s best interest to remain in Charleston.” The trial judge found the father to be dedicated, sincere and able to care for Paula just as he had done during a large part of her life.
Importantly, the mother was awarded visitation privileges every other weekend beginning after school on Friday and ending when she returned Paula to school on Monday morning. The mother was awarded visitation during the summer months except for three days after school ended and the three days before it began.
*337I.
We need not address the issue of whether the trial judge erroneously held that the presumption of McAlister envisioned a move of 75 miles. Even if his conclusions were erroneous, we hold it to be harmless error. We are convinced that the other findings of fact relating to the welfare of the child contained in the appealed order sufficiently established that Paula’s welfare requires that custody be awarded her father. We therefore reject the mother’s contention that the appealed order should be reversed because of this holding.
II.
We also reject the mother’s contention that custody should be awarded her because of a child conceived by another man during her marriage to the father. The basic issue for the trial court to determine in a custody case is where the best interest of the child lies. We concur, for the reasons set forth in the appealed order, that it is in the best interest of Paula that custody be awarded to the father with liberal visitations accorded the mother.
III.
We have given careful consideration to the mother’s argument that by marrying the man by whom she became pregnant she restored her moral fitness as a factor to be considered in awarding custody of a child. The appealed order found that the mother was a fit custodian and we agree. Giving no consideration whatsoever to the mother’s past indiscretions, it is the opinion of this court that the appealed order reached the proper decision in this case.
We have before us a record of 1,156 pages. Much testimony was received relating to the three issues which we have considered in this rehearing. We have read the testimony and are convinced that the trial judge reached the proper conclusion as to each issue.
Before our initial decision in this case was written and filed, this court made a careful study of the record and listened attentively to full argument on the issues presented. After further detailed study, we are unable to discover any material fact or principle of law which has been either overlooked or disregarded.
*338For the above reasons, the appealed order is affirmed and the contentions made in the Petition for Rehearing rejected.
Petition denied.