Burris v. Burris ( 1976 )


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  •                                      No. 13288
    I N T E SUPREME C U T O T E STATE O MONTANA
    H           OR    F H         F
    1976
    M R H J. BURRIS,
    ATA
    P l a i n t i f f and Respondent,
    BILLY C. BURRIS,
    Defendant and Appellant.
    Appeal from:         D i s t r i c t Court of t h e Twelfth J u d i c i a l D i s t r i c t ,
    Honorable LeRoy L. McKinnon, Judge p r e s i d i n g .
    Counsel of Record:
    For Appellant :
    Smith and Rice, Havre, Montana
    Ronald W. Smith argued, Havre, Montana
    For Respondent:
    Frank Altman argued, Havre, Montana
    For Amicus Curiae:
    Hon. Robert L. Woodahl, Attorney General, Helena,
    Montana
    Donald Smith appeared, A s s i s t a n t Attorney General,
    Helena, Montana
    Submitted:        October 27, 1976
    Filed   ::!F?. b   ' I976
    M r . J u s t i c e Gene B . Daly d e l i v e r e d t h e Opinion of t h e Court.
    This i s an appeal from a judgment of t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t ,
    H i l l County, s i t t i n g without a j u r y , Hon. LeRoy McKinnon, presiding.
    The judgment modified a divorce decree entered March 1, 1974,
    i n c r e a s i n g a c h i l d support f o r t h e youngest and only remaining
    minor c h i l d from $125 per month t o $200, and specifying t h e l e n g t h
    of t h e v i s i t a t i o n period t h e f a t h e r i s e n t i t l e d t o have with t h e
    c h i l d annually.
    P l a i n t i f f Martha B u r r i s was granted a divorce from defendant
    B i l l y B u r r i s on March 1, 1974.        The divorce granted p l a i n t i f f mother
    $250 per month alimony, plus $125 per month c h i l d support f o r each
    of t h e t h r e e minor c h i l d r e n of t h e marriage.         Child support was t o
    continue u n t i l each c h i l d reached h i s majority.               Defendant was t o
    have reasonable v i s i t a t i o n r i g h t s with t h e c h i l d r e n , and p l a i n t i f f
    was granted custody.
    A t t h e end of t h e school year i n 1974, p l a i n t i f f mother
    and t h e t h r e e minor c h i l d r e n moved t o Oklahoma.              She c u r r e n t l y
    i s employed t h e r e a s a t e a c h e r ' s a i d e and i s paid $2.10 p e r hour
    during t h e school year.            Two of t h e c h i l d r e n have now reached
    majority and t h e mother now receives support payments only f o r t h e
    youngest    .
    I n May 1975, defendant f a t h e r brought an a c t i o n t o modify
    t h e o r i g i n a l decree requesting t h e alimony o b l i g a t i o n be s t r i c k e n
    and t h e v i s i t a t i o n r i g h t s be more c l e a r l y defined.     The mother
    f i l e d a c r o s s - p e t i t i o n i n response requesting modification of t h e
    decree increasing t h e amount of support f o r each of two c h i l d r e n who
    were minors a t t h a t time.          The d i s t r i c t c o u r t ' s judgment increased
    t h e c h i l d support f o r t h e remaining minor c h i l d and granted t h e
    t h e f a t h e r s i x weeks v i s i t a t i o n r i g h t s each summer.     The i s s u e
    f o r review on t h i s appeal i s whether t h e evidence i s s u f f i c i e n t
    t o support t h e c o u r t ' s judgment.
    This Court's f u n c t i o n i n review of a determination of t h e
    d i s t r i c t c o u r t i s n o t t o s u b s t i t u t e i t s judgment i n place of
    t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t ' s , b u t r a t h e r i t i s confined t o determining
    i f t h e r e i s s u b s t a n t i a l c r e d i b l e evidence t o support t h e d i s t r i c t
    c o u r t ' s determination.            Hornung v. E s t a t e of Lagerquist, 
    155 Mont. 412
    , 420, 
    473 P.2d 541
    .                     The f a c t t h a t t h e r e may have been
    c o n f l i c t s i n t h e testimony does not mean t h e r e i s n o t s u b s t a n t i a l
    evidence t o support t h e v e r d i c t .           Davis v. Davis, 
    159 Mont. 355
    ,
    361, 
    497 P.2d 315
    .                Transamerica I n s , Co. v. G l a c i e r Gen. Assur.
    Co., 163 Mont, 454, 461, 
    517 P.2d 888
    .
    I n t h e i n s t a n t m a t t e r evidence was presented by each p a r t y
    and, of n e c e s s i t y , was i n p a r t c o n f l i c t i n g .   However, t h e r e was
    s u b s t a n t i a l c r e d i b l e evidence of a' change of circumstances s i n c e
    t h e o r i g i n a l decree      ---   increased expenses on t h e p a r t of t h e
    p l a i n t i f f mother and increased income of t h e defendant f a t h e r .
    There was s u f f i c i e n t c r e d i b l e evidence t o support t h e t r i a l
    c o u r t ' s judgment, and t h e r e f o r e we f i n d no abuse of d i s c r e t i o n
    and t h e judgment i s affirmed.
    #is t i c e
    ;     ,budge, s i t t i n g f o r J u s t i c e
    t'wesley C a s t l e s .                         - 3 -
    i
    

Document Info

Docket Number: 13288

Filed Date: 12/14/1976

Precedential Status: Precedential

Modified Date: 3/3/2016