Court Opinion

ID: 9733696
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 17:14:26.464788+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:26:43.647356
License: Public Domain

SABERS, Justice
(concurring specially).
I write specially to point out that the basis for affirming Issue II is contained within the guidelines themselves.
The child support obligation schedule at SDCL 25-7-6.2 only goes up to a combined monthly income of $4,000. Under this schedule, the parental child support obligation for two children on a $4,000 combined income is $987. The combined monthly income of Daryl and Peggy Jones is $4,526. To arrive at the additional child support obligation arising from the $526 by which the Jones’ combined income exceeds $4,000, the court determined that 20% of the excess income, or $105, would constitute the child support portion. Daryl’s share of this $105, based on his percentage of the combined monthly income, came to $59. Daryl’s total monthly obligation for the support of his two children, including the $59, was found to be a modest $573, or $616 reduced by $43 for IRS deductions.
This was a properly considered decision. The trial court considered two specific deviations from the guidelines, rejected one and entered appropriate findings of fact for both. There is no third deviation present and no need for additional findings.
*786The evident purpose of having a grid at SDCL 25-7-6.2 which sets forth precisely how much child support is owed at each income level is to prevent children from being deprived or one parent from being unfairly burdened while the other parent prolongs litigation in reliance on vague legal standards of “reasonable need” and “ability to pay.” The trial court’s decision is an extrapolation from the guidelines, not a deviation. To characterize the trial court’s reasonable and consistent extrapolation from the schedule as a deviation requiring remand would defeat the whole purpose of the legislative scheme.
The guidelines implicitly include the reasonable needs of the children. We should hold that for incomes within the guidelines, need is presumed. For incomes above the guidelines, need should be presumed unless the non-custodial parent proves lack of need. The conference opinion invites needless litigation by failing to make this clear. Therefore, on the above basis, I agree that we should affirm in all respects.