Court Opinion

ID: 9698589
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-25 19:54:56.067959+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:30:00.068604
License: Public Domain

BECK, Judge,
concurring:
I agree with the majority’s decision to affirm the trial court’s order of October 4, 1983. However, my reasons for affirmance differ from those expressed by the majority. Contrary to the majority, I would hold that a showing of a substantial change in circumstances is not a prerequisite to a hearing on a petition to modify partial custody.
The scope of appellate review in partial custody matters is analogous to that in custody matters. The appellate court is bound by the trial court’s factual findings if supported by competent evidence of record. Commonwealth ex rel. Robinson v. Robinson, 505 Pa. 226, 478 A.2d 800 (1984). The scope of appellate review is otherwise broad. Id.; Commonwealth ex rel. Spriggs v. Carson, 470 Pa. 290, 368 A.2d 635 (1977); In re Donna W., 325 Pa.Super. 39, 472 A.2d 635 (1984).
Three issues are raised in this child custody case: (1) whether a parent seeking modification of a partial custody order must make a threshold showing of changed circumstances before the trial court may hear the petition on its merits; (2) whether the trial court erred in denying the father’s petition for shared custody, and (3) whether the trial court erred in denying the paternal grandparents’ petition for separate partial custody.
*144I. Modification of Partial Custody
The initial issue in this case is whether a parent seeking modification of partial custody must make a threshold showing of changed circumstances before the trial court may hear the petition on its merits. The appellant argues that he need not, and I. agree.
It is clear that the petitioner who seeks modification of a child custody order must preliminarily show a change of circumstances. English v. English, 322 Pa.Super. 234, 469 A.2d 270 (1983); Daniel K.D. v. Jan M.H., 301 Pa.Super. 36, 446 A.2d 1323 (1982). Whether a showing of changed circumstances is required as a predicate to modify partial custody is not entirely clear from case law. See Commonwealth ex rel. Hickey v. Hickey, 216 Pa.Super. 332, 264 A.2d 420 (1970), allocatur denied (changed circumstances required for petition to modify partial custody order). But see Bury v. Bury, 312 Pa.Super. 393, 458 A.2d 1017 (1983) (best interests of child standard applied to petition for expanded partial custody, no mention of changed circumstances); In re Stuck, 291 Pa.Super. 61, 435 A.2d 219 (1981) (best interests of child standard applied to petition to modify partial custody order, no mention of changed circumstances).
Seeking guidance, I examine how other jurisdictions have resolved this issue. Some states require a petitioner to show significant, or at least, some change in circumstances before a petition for modification of partial custody will be considered on its merits. These states include Indiana, State ex rel. Jemiolo v. LaPorte Circuit Court, Ind., 442 N.E.2d 1060 (1982); Maryland, Kemp v. Kemp, 287 Md. 165, 411 A.2d 1028 (1980) (dicta), and New Jersey, Hoy v. Willis, 165 N.J.Super. 265, 398 A.2d 109 (1978) (dicta).1 Other *145states allow modification of partial custody orders under standards more flexible than those for modifying custody orders. See, e.g., In re Stevens, 86 Mich.App. 258, 273 N.W.2d 490 (1979); Mich.Comp.Laws § 722.27(b); Tex.Fam. Code Ann. § 14.08 (Vernon).
Several states have adopted the flexible standard of Section 407 of the Uniform Marriage and Divorce Act (1973) [UMDA]2 and hold that a court may entertain a petition to modify partial custody whenever modification would serve the best interests of the child.3 The petitioner is not required to show change of circumstance as a predicate to a hearing on the merits.
I would adopt the standard of Section 407(b) of the UMDA and hold that a court may modify an existing partial custody order whenever modification would serve the best interests of the child. The petitioner need not show changed circumstances.
I would adopt this flexible standard because I believe that amendments in partial custody do not affect the child’s basic stability in the same way that changes in custody do. Unlike a change in custody, a modification of partial custody does not remove the child from the sure and strong home base with the custodial parent. Shifts in partial custody may be necessary to accommodate a growing child’s changing schedule of activities or desire to spend more or less time with the non-custodial parent. Or these shifts may be indicated because the non-custodial parent’s life has stabilized and he or she may be in a position to assume a more significant parental role. The growth of a child is not static, but dynamic. As the child grows and matures, changes in partial custody may be indicated, and it is desirable that the party petitioning for such change be heard in court.
*146The majority inappropriately equates partial custody with custody and argues that the same principles apply to both. I disagree. To the extent that the law can provide flexibility in parent-child relationships, it should. All families, whether intact or divided (by divorce) are dynamic entities, changing as individual members of the family mature. For the law to make rigid rules relating to family relationships under the banner of maintaining stability will not achieve a beneficial result for the family. The status quo will be preserved at the risk of disregarding or thwarting the development of family members and familial interrelationships.
The majority injects needless rigidity because it fears “spurious petitions based on temporary and vacillating circumstances” and is concerned that “change without careful discretion turns the courts into instruments of destruction.” Slip op. at 433.
I do not share the majority’s fear. I do not believe that the flexibility I advocate would send parents rushing to the courthouse to resolve questions of partial custody. For the most part, parents recognize that such actions are disruptive to children, as well as to themselves, and the cost of pursuing court action imposes economic burdens on each parent. Parents’ reluctance to use the courts to adjudicate custody matters has been reflected in recent years in a marked decline in custody and partial custody litigation. The vast majority of custody and partial custody arrangements evolve in the lawyers’ offices, not in the courthouse. The law established by the appellate courts sets guidelines for such non-judicial negotiations. Parents who know that their partial custody agreements will not be inflexibly interpreted by the courts are more likely to negotiate sensible partial custody schedules between themselves because they know the schedules can, without a showing of changed circumstances, be revised to accommodate developments in their lives. Flexibility is certainly to the parents’ advantage, but more importantly, it serves the children’s best *147interests by permitting them to adjust more readily the time spent with each parent.
The majority does not recognize the vast difference between custody and partial custody. The former represents core stability for the child while the latter does not have as pervasive an impact on the child’s life. Therefore, this court should not obdurately advocate the same rules for both under the guise of achieving uniformity in the law.
Although in the case before us the trial court articulated that it was not empowered to hear a modification absent changed circumstances, it nevertheless heard the matter on the merits, developed a comprehensive record,4 and wrote a thorough and well considered opinion supporting its decision to expand the father’s partial custody. See In re Custody of Hernandez; 263 Pa.Super. 312, 397 A.2d 1225 (1979); Daniel K.D.
Based upon the extensive record and the trial court’s thorough opinion, I conclude that the trial court’s order expanding the father’s partial custody was grounded on competent evidence of record and made in the best interests of the child. That is, I find that the trial court properly modified its 1981 partial custody order.
Prior to the hearing, the parties had informally modified the original 1981 court order so that the father enjoyed expanded partial custody. On alternate weekends, the child spent time with the father from Friday at 5:30 PM to Sunday at 8:30 PM. For six weekends during the summer of 1982, the child was with him from Thursday at 5:30 PM to Monday at 8:30 PM.
In his 1983 modification petition the father requested that the child be with him overnight during his weekday partial custody, that he be granted partial custody for a total of six weeks during the summer, and that major holidays be divided on an alternating basis.
*148The record indicates that the father has been able to maintain a close and meaningful relationship with his son. The mother recognizes the importance of this relationship. This schedule has proved workable, has not placed an unfair burden on either party and has been beneficial to the child. That the father desires additional partial custody is understandable. I however, find that the trial judge carefully considered the matter and sensibly accommodated the needs of the parents in light of the best interests of the child.
All parties agree that the child is a healthy young boy who is thriving. The trial court’s decision not to expand weekday contact to include overnight periods serves the best interests of the child. The child is about to enter school and the court found the overnight stay during the week night to be disruptive. In actuality, the father’s request would afford little additional waking time between father and son.
Similarly, I conclude that the two week vacation period which the trial judge awarded serves the child’s best interests. I note that the 1983 order gives the father vacation time which he did not have under the original 1981 partial custody and thereby affords the father and son more uninterrupted contact. During the rest of the summer, of course, the father will continue to have weekday and weekend contact as allowed by the regular partial custody schedule.
The trial court’s order also provides a detailed, even-handed holiday schedule which is designed to resolve the parties’ dispute regarding these periods.
I would, therefore, affirm the schedule which the trial court established in its order.
II. Shared Custody
The father also argues that the trial court erred in denying his petition for shared custody. See Section 11 of the Custody and Grandparents Visitation Act (“Act”), Act of Nov. 5, 1981, P.L. 322, 23 P.S. § 1011. The Act grants the trial court broad discretion in awarding shared custody. *149See Section 11 of the Act. In re Wesley J.K., 299 Pa.Super. 504, 445 A.2d 1243 (1982), outlines the factors that the trial court must consider: whether both parents are fit and desire continuing, active involvement with the child; whether the child sees both parents as sources of security and love, and whether the parents are able to communicate and cooperate with each other to promote the child’s best interests.
In the case sub judice the trial court considered the pertinent factors and concluded that because of the bitterness between the parties, shared custody “simply will not work under the circumstances.” Opinion at 20.
Although the record indicates that the parties cooperated in revising the partial custody schedule to accommodate changes in work schedules, the record also reveals that they do not sufficiently cooperate to make a shared custody arrangement workable. For example, they were not able to resolve a 1982 Christmas schedule dispute without emergency court intervention. Both parties testified that differences of opinion about the child often result in arguments. The trial court found that the father refuses to inform the mother of the child’s whereabouts when he has partial custody, and has even refused to provide her a phone number when he takes the child outside the town.
After a thorough and independent review, I conclude that the trial court properly determined that shared custody would be inappropriate at this time.
III. Grandparents’ Partial Custody
Finally, the grandparents argue that the trial court erred in denying their request for separate daytime partial custody under Section 13 of the Act, 23 P.S. § 1013. I disagree.
Section 13 provides:
§ 1013. When parents’ marriage is dissolved
In all proceedings for dissolution, subsequent to the commencement of the proceeding and continuing thereafter, the court may, upon the request of the parent or *150grandparent of a party, grant reasonable visitation rights to the unmarried child, after dissolution of marriage, if it finds that visitation rights would be in the best interest of the child and would not interfere with the parent-child relationship. The court shall consider the amount of personal contact between the parents or grandparents of the party and the child prior to the application.
The paternal grandparents in this case requested separate partial custody from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM on one weekday every other week so that they would have time of their own with Anthony and could enable Anthony to see their friends and relatives who were unavailable on weekends.
The uncontradicted testimony reveals that the grandparents regularly spend meaningful periods of time with their grandson during the father’s partial custody period and that they have a strong, loving relationship with him. The mother has no objection to this arrangement but would not want the child’s schedule further disrupted by separate grandparent visitation during the week.
The trial court denied the grandparents’ request because under the existing arrangement the grandparents enjoyed sufficient periods of contact to maintain their relationship with the child. The court determined that the best interests of the child would be served by retaining the status quo. Accordingly, the court ordered that on alternating weeks the father’s weekday evening be spent with the grandparents.
I conclude that the trial court did not err. It is clear from the record that the child and his grandparents are able to maintain a thriving relationship under the existing partial custody schedule. It is in the best interests of the child to continue that arrangement.
Accordingly, I would affirm the trial court’s order of October 4, 1983.

. New York treats identically the modification of custody orders and partial custody orders. A trial court may modify any custody order where under the totality of the circumstances, including the existence of a prior order, the best interests of the child will be served by a modification. Friederwitzer v. Friederwitzer, 55 N.Y.2d 89, 432 N.E.2d 765, 447 N.Y.S.2d 893 (1982); Larisa F. v. Michael S., 120 Misc.2d 907, 466 N.Y.S.2d 899 (N.Y.Fam.Ct.1983).

. These states include Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, and Washington.

. The UMDA contains two standards. Section 407 relates to partial custody and Section 409 relates to custody and imposes a stricter standards.

. The hearing was not limited to consideration of the petition for expanded custody, but testimony was also taken relevant to the petition for shared custody and grandparent partial custody. Therefore, testimony was not limited to the issue of changed circumstances.