Court Opinion

ID: 9674782
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 04:35:14.909801+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:14:08.767674
License: Public Domain

BILLINGS, Judge,
dissenting and concurring in dissent of PREWITT, J.
Custodial mothers beware! The majority opinion dooms you to imprisonment within the territorial boundaries of Missouri or risking the loss of custody of your child if you move to another State, particularly, where the child is a boy and tells the trial judge he had rather stay here in Missouri with his father. Regardless of better opportunities in the remaining 49 States, whether for more gainful employment, educational pursuits, a new marital home (as here) or, simply to begin life anew, the principal opinion should serve as an unmistakable warning of the attitude of a majority of this court in the matter of custody of children. The fact that we are living in a highly mobile society in a jet age is of no meaning and removal by a custodial mother from our fair State to a sister State can result in a custody modification which takes custody of a 12 -year-old boy away from his mother, even though she was initially awarded custody and has had such custody for the seven years following the parents’ divorce.
Since the time of Solomon man has struggled to find the right solution to the matter of custody of children when disputes arise between adults. The best interests of the child and welfare of the child is the overriding and paramount consideration and the courts of this land have strived to follow this principle as a guiding star. In the vast majority of reported decisions in this State the appellate courts have, and rightly so, given much deference to the trial courts in *250the award of custody. However, we would be remiss in our duty, as a reviewing court, if we automatically apply the deference rule in custody awards. There is not, in my opinion, a sufficient change of circumstances to warrant the instant change of custody. The evidence in this case falls far short of demonstrating that the best interests and welfare of the child will be best served by the modification order. I am convinced the trial court was wrong and that the best interests and welfare of the child call for him to continue to be with and reared by his mother.
In this case it should be kept in mind that this is not an original award of custody situation, but a modification of the original award of custody to the mother in 1973 when the boy was some five-years-old. When these proceedings commenced the boy was 11 and is now 12-plus years-of age. Until shortly before this case was filed the boy had lived his entire life with his mother, a strong and relevant fact to be considered.
Ironically, for the mother, these proceedings were triggered by her filing a motion seeking an increase in the $75 monthly child support allowance entered in 1973 when the mother and father divorced. She. had reared her son for six years and except for the monthly award had received scant financial help from the father. She had incurred medical bills on behalf of the boy by reason of a blood disorder that he had developed. She was facing anticipated bills of $1,000 to $3,000 for corrective dental work for her son. The increased age of the boy called for more money for the necessities of life. Inflation had taken its toll. And, because of her proposed marriage to a California resident she planned to terminate her Springfield employment as a teacher and move to California to her new marital home.
The father, full-time employed, lived with his parents in Springfield [the paternal grandfather died shortly after the trial court proceedings]. He had exercised his visitation privileges with his son over the years, usually on weekends, and on such occasions the boy stayed with the father at the paternal grandparents’ home. When the mother filed her motion for increased support for the boy, the father countered, as often is the case, with a request that the original custody award be modified and that the boy’s custody be placed with him. Various grounds asserting changes of conditions were alleged by the father, but the only change in circumstances supported by the record is that the mother planned to marry and move to California. Ancillary to the proposed move, it was alleged and proved the boy wanted to remain in Springfield with his father.
The boy had lived his entire life in Springfield. Both sets of grandparents lived in Springfield. His friends and schoolmates all lived nearby. He expressed fears of violence in attending California schools, fears which the record strongly indicates were instilled in him by his father. Although the father had not made any contribution toward the boy’s medical bills, despite requests of the mother, special and expensive gifts (boat, dirt bike, 10-speed bike, motorcycle) had suddenly surfaced or been dangled before the youthful eyes of the boy shortly before these proceedings. The visitations the father and son spent together were often spent doing fun things (camping, riding motorcycles, hunting, fishing, etc.), not uncommon activities when one divorced parent spends limited time with a child. Small wonder that the boy told the trial judge he had rather stay in Springfield and live with his father, rather than live in a family atmosphere in California with his mother and stepfather and attend classes where “kids come to school with knives and guns.”
The mother and her new mate have a suitable home. The mother testified she planned to forego her teaching career in order to devote full time to her duties as wife and mother. Her husband, a gainfully employed law enforcement officer, was willing for the boy to live with them. Under the modification order, the boy will be residing with his father and paternal grandmother (age 65 at the time of the hearing) in the latter’s home.
*251In my opinion the welfare of the boy in this case has been subjugated to a parochial view; further, that the mother who gave him birth and reared him for nearly 12 years is being judicially punished for moving to her new marital home in another State. The trial court’s order is not supported by substantial evidence and erroneously applies the law governing modification of child custody. The affirmance of the order by this court is another log for the fires of the proponents of the Equal Rights Amendment.
I concur in the dissent of Judge Prewitt.
I would reverse the order of the trial court and remand the matter for further proceedings on the mother’s motion for additional child support.