Court Opinion

ID: 9808692
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 20:47:11.590214+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:17:21.541246
License: Public Domain

¶ 29.
Robinson, J.,
concurring. I concur in the result. Mother was awarded sole physical and legal rights and responsibilities for the minor child, and father was awarded parent-child contact three nights per week during the school year, and half of the time during the summer. On appeal, mother challenges the trial court’s award of parent-child contact. Most of her argument on appeal focuses on the court’s findings and inconsistent statements regarding whether mother was the primary caregiver for both children.1 Her theory seems to be that because the court erred, or at least made inconsistent findings, with respect to whether to assign to mother the label “primary caregiver,” its parent-child contact award was fundamentally flawed.
*23¶ 30. There is a disconnect between mother’s argument and the relief she seeks — reconsideration of the parent-child contact award. In the course of its analysis, the trial court acknowledged the children’s positive and loving relationships with both of their parents. In reviewing the statutory factors and awarding legal and physical parental rights and responsibilities to mother, the court concluded that the children’s adjustment to their present housing, school and community, and the quality of their relationship “with the primary care-provider” were both factors that favored mother. Discussing their very different parenting styles, the court noted that father’s greater ability to set clear limits and to encourage the children to take appropriate risks, to learn from mistakes, and to ask for help when needed would enable the children “to withstand the buffets and bruises that life inevitably brings,” and to develop as “healthy, confident people.” The court also found father better disposed to foster a positive relationship and frequent and continuing contact with the other parent. For these reasons, although the court did award parental rights and responsibilities to mother, it concluded that they “would benefit from a more equal division of their time” between mother and father.
¶ 31. The trial court did not increase the children’s time with father because it was confused about his role as primary caregiver; it did so despite the fact that the primary-caregiver factor in the statutory analysis favored mother. It concluded that the children would benefit from greater balance between the parents. Insofar as mother suggests that the court’s inconsistent findings about the primary-caregiver factor undermine its parent-child contact award, that suggestion is inconsistent with the court’s findings and reasoning, which were expressly forward-looking. I would reject mother’s arguments concerning the court’s findings as to who was the child’s primary caregiver on that basis.2 I concur with the majority’s analysis concerning the court’s finding that father was more disposed to foster a positive relationship between the children and their mother, ante, ¶¶ 18-19, and concerning the court’s property division, ante, ¶¶ 23-28.

 The magistrate initially concluded that mother was the primary caregiver for both children; the trial court concluded that she was the primary caregiver for the parties’ younger child and neither parent was primary caregiver for the older child; and on reconsideration the trial court ruled with respect to both children that neither parent was primary caregiver for both children.

 I do not disagree with the majority’s conclusion that the trial court is not bound at this stage in the litigation by the magistrate’s earlier findings. I would not, however, reach the question of whether and under what circumstances the trial court may adopt findings from the temporary hearing. That issue was not briefed in this Court, nor analyzed below.