Court Opinion

ID: 9538139
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 07:31:08.009252+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:57:32.931771
License: Public Domain

HODGES, Vice Chief Justice
(dissenting).
I dissent to that portion of the majority opinion which .upholds the trial court’s finding that appellant willfully disobeyed court’s order pertaining to payment of child support, and that part which denies appellant’s motion to modify the divorce decree as to the amount of child support.
The majority support their opinion on two factors: (1) a review of the record as a whole and, (2) on appellant’s taxable income based upon his 1973 federal income tax return. In my opinion neither factors shows a contemptuous conduct by the appellant.
Appellant’s 1973 federal income tax return should not be considered as a factor in support of a finding of contempt. Ap-pellee’s application for contempt citation filed on September 12, 1974, alleges the appellant has failed to make full child support payments since January 1, 1974. Appellant’s arrearage in child support payments, which he admits, has occurred since January 1, 1974, in the amount of $825.00. Hence, the pertinent evidence is the income of the appellant during this period of 1974.
The undisputed evidence shows that during this period in 1974, appellant’s net income was $369.55, that his only other source of income was $3,000.00 which he borrowed in April, 1974, to open a law office. On this amount of income he paid child support payments in the total amount of $525.00 for the eight-month period.
Appellant has remarried to a woman who is employed as a secretary, and it is apparent that most of their living expenses are paid from her income.
Under this state of facts, I do not find appellant’s failure to make full child support payments either willful or contemptuous.