Marriage of Cassel , 2009 MT 405N ( 2009 )

November 25 2009
DA 09-0241
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA
2009 MT 405N
IN RE THE MARRIAGE OF
CHRISTY CASSEL,
Petitioner and Appellee,
and
MARK W. CASSEL,
Respondent and Appellant.
APPEAL FROM: District Court of the Ninth Judicial District,
In and For the County of Toole, Cause No. DR 05-005
Honorable David Cybulski, Presiding Judge
COUNSEL OF RECORD:
For Appellant:
Mark Bauer; Attorney at Law, Great Falls, Montana
For Appellee:
Shari M. Gianarelli; Gianarelli Law Office, PLLC, Conrad, Montana
Submitted on Briefs: November 4, 2009
Decided: November 24, 2009
Filed:
__________________________________________
Clerk
Chief Justice Mike McGrath delivered the Opinion of the Court.
¶1 Pursuant to Section I, Paragraph 3(d)(v), Montana Supreme Court 1996 Internal
Operating Rules, as amended in 2006, the following memorandum decision shall not be
cited as precedent. It shall be filed as a public document with the Clerk of the Supreme
Court and its case title, Supreme Court cause number and disposition shall be included in
this Court’s quarterly list of noncitable cases published in the Pacific Reporter and
Montana Reports.
¶2 The parties are the divorced parents of two minor children aged 9 and 2, and they
share custody pursuant to a final parenting plan of July 31, 2006. The 2006 parenting
plan provides that Christy, who lives in Canada, is the primary custodial parent, and that
the children stay with Mark, who lives in Shelby, Montana, two of every three weekends
and on holidays. Both parties moved to modify the parenting plan and agreed to have
Robert Page, PhD, perform a custody evaluation. Page found that there were no changed
circumstances to support a change in the parenting plan. He recommended that the
children reside temporarily with Mark as an experiment because the older child expressed
a desire to do so. After a hearing in July, 2008, but before the District Court announced a
decision, the parties agreed that the children would temporarily reside with Mark and
would attend counseling with Maureen McInnis, a licensed counselor in Great Falls. The
parties agreed that they would abide by McInnis’ custody recommendations, and the
District Court incorporated the agreement into an order.
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¶3 The children lived with Mark for four months and then returned to live with
Christy in Canada. Counselor McInnis recommended that there were no changed
circumstances and that the custody arrangement in the 2006 parenting plan should be
continued. Mark objected and refused to follow the prior agreement that he would
comply with the McInnis recommendations. The District Court held a hearing and
entered findings of fact, conclusions of law and an order on March 31, 2009. The District
Court relied upon the Page report and to some extent on the McInnis report to find that
both parents provided safe homes and that there were no changed circumstances to
warrant a custody modification. The District Court concluded that the 2006 parenting
plan should remain in effect. Mark appeals.
¶4 A district court may in its discretion modify an existing parenting plan if it finds
based on facts that have arisen since the parenting plan that there have been changes in
the circumstances of the child, and that modification is necessary to serve the best
interests of the child. Section 40-4-219, MCA.
¶5 The District Court here determined after reports from two professionals and after
two hearings that there were no changes in the circumstances of the children. Mark has
not demonstrated that the District Court abused its discretion and we find no reason to
disturb the District Court’s decision. Christy was living in Canada and Mark was living
in Shelby at the time of the 2006 parenting plan and Mark has not pointed to any
substantial change in those circumstances. The district court in such cases is in a better
position than this Court to resolve custody issues, and its decision is presumed to be
correct and will be upheld unless a clear abuse of discretion is shown. In the Matter of
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the Marriage of Rolfe, 216 Mont. 39, 44, 699 P.2d 79, 82 (1985); In the Matter of the
Custody of J.M.D., 259 Mont. 468, 473, 857 P.2d 708, 712 (1993).
¶6 Mark contends that Christy is estopped from arguing that there has not been a
change in the circumstances of the children because in 2006 she moved for a
modification of the parenting plan. At the time of the first hearing in 2008 Christy
specifically withdrew her request to modify the parenting plan. Mark has failed to
demonstrate that Christy is estopped, and in any event a change in a parenting plan is
governed by § 40-4-219, MCA.
¶7 We have determined to decide this case pursuant to Section I, Paragraph 3(d) of
our 1996 Internal Operating Rules, as amended in 2006, which provides for
memorandum opinions. The issues are clearly controlled by settled Montana law. There
clearly is sufficient evidence to support the District Court’s findings of fact and
conclusions of law. The District Court did not abuse its discretion.
¶8 Affirmed.
/S/ MIKE McGRATH
We concur:
/S/ JAMES C. NELSON
/S/ W. WILLIAM LEAPHART
/S/ BRIAN MORRIS
/S/ JIM RICE
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