Court Opinion

ID: 9719662
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 07:58:30.547505+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:24:08.716857
License: Public Domain

LEVINE, Justice,
dissenting.
“Children are the tragic victims of the present system of inadequate ... child support.” Lenore J. Weitzman, The Divorce Revolution, 321 (1985).
I am disheartened and demoralized that when a trial judge is sensitive to that inadequacy and acts to remedy it in accord with legislatively sanctioned guidelines by supplementing a grossly inadequate amount of child support, a majority of this court reverses.
The guidelines will apply to child support awards regardless of whether there is a material change of circumstances come October 1, 1993. See NDCC 14-09-08.4(3) and note (1989). But the majority says, in effect, until that time, we will continue to require the change-of-circumstances shibboleth, notwithstanding that it perpetuates unfair treatment of children and flies in the face of a clear public policy against inadequate child support. I echo the good sense of a colleague who, in similar circumstances, said, “I see no purpose in adhering to our previous case law in this instance.” Hopkins v. McBane, 427 N.W.2d 85, 96 (N.D.1988) (VandeWalle, J., concurring). At the very least, we could and should say that, if a material change in circumstances is to be required until it breathes its last breath on October 1, 1993, the guidelines themselves constitute that change of circumstances. See Garbe v. Garbe, 467 N.W.2d 740 (N.D.1991) (Levine, J., dissenting). After all, a guideline requirement of $372.00 based upon Mr. Hoff’s income is a monumental change from the $125.00 awarded by a careful trial judge some several years ago.
The guidelines were enacted to make right what has been legislatively recognized as being wrong. In ignoring these guidelines in cases like this, the majority creates a world in which a child, whose parents are divorced today, will receive $372.00 monthly child support when Mr. *13Hoff’s child receives but $125.00 a month, based upon the same income. Surely, the law cannot be thus.
I would affirm the trial court judgment in its entirety. I, therefore, dissent.
MESCHKE, J., concurs.