Olander v. McPhillips , 28 Neb. Ct. App. 559 ( 2020 )


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    OLANDER v. McPHILLIPS
    Cite as 
    28 Neb. Ct. App. 559
    Shaun P. Olander, appellee,
    v. Brandy A. McPhillips,
    appellant.
    ___ N.W.2d ___
    Filed June 30, 2020.    No. A-19-545.
    1. Visitation: Appeal and Error. Parenting time determinations are mat-
    ters initially entrusted to the discretion of the trial court, and although
    reviewed de novo on the record, the trial court’s determination will nor-
    mally be affirmed absent an abuse of discretion.
    2. Judgments: Words and Phrases. An abuse of discretion occurs when
    a trial court bases its decision upon reasons that are untenable or unrea-
    sonable or if its action is clearly against justice or conscience, reason,
    and evidence.
    3. Visitation. The best interests of the children are the primary and para-
    mount considerations in determining and modifying parenting time.
    4. ____. The right of parenting time is subject to continual review by the
    court, and a party may seek modification of a parenting time order on
    the grounds that there has been a material change in circumstances.
    5. Modification of Decree: Words and Phrases. In the context of marital
    dissolutions, a material change in circumstances means the occurrence
    of something which, had it been known to the dissolution court at the
    time of the initial decree, would have persuaded the court to decree
    differently.
    6. Trial: Records: Appeal and Error. Where no record of an evidentiary
    hearing is made, the orderly administration of justice requires that the
    order be vacated and the matter remanded for a new evidentiary hearing
    on the record.
    7. Modification of Decree. In order to modify a parenting plan, there must
    be a material change in circumstances that affects the best interests of
    the child.
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    OLANDER v. McPHILLIPS
    Cite as 
    28 Neb. Ct. App. 559
    Appeal from the District Court for Douglas County: Duane
    C. Dougherty, Judge. Affirmed in part, and in part reversed
    and remanded for further proceedings.
    John F. Eker III, for appellant.
    Justin A. Roberts, of Lustgarten & Roberts, P.C., L.L.O., for
    appellee.
    Moore, Chief Judge, and Riedmann and Welch, Judges.
    Riedmann, Judge.
    INTRODUCTION
    Brandy A. McPhillips appeals the order of the district court
    for Douglas County which granted Shaun P. Olander’s com-
    plaint to modify a decree of paternity and parenting plan and
    denied her motion to vacate the modification order. We con-
    clude that the district court’s failure to hold an evidentiary
    hearing on the record on the issue of child support requires
    that we reverse, and remand for further proceedings on that
    issue, and we reverse the revised transportation provision and
    remand the cause with instructions to vacate and reinstate
    the prior transportation provision. As to the remaining issues,
    we affirm.
    BACKGROUND
    Olander filed a complaint for paternity, a copy of which
    is not included in our record. It appears that trial was set for
    December 3, 2013; however, prior to trial, the parties reached
    an agreement that was read into the record. Our bill of excep-
    tions does not contain a transcription of that December 3
    hearing. On January 7, 2014, McPhillips filed a motion for
    clarification or to alter or amend the decree. In response,
    Olander filed a motion to enter a decree of paternity which had
    been prepared by his attorney, alleging that McPhillips refused
    to approve the agreed-upon decree. Following a hearing on
    January 15, a transcription of which is also not included in our
    record, the court entered an order requiring certain changes
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    OLANDER v. McPHILLIPS
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    to the decree and clarifying and amending other portions.
    Specifically, the court ordered Olander to include the follow-
    ing language in the decree of paternity: “It is further ordered
    that beginning Saturday, January 25, 2014, and every fourth
    Saturday thereafter, [Olander’s] mother shall have a superior
    right of first refusal versus [McPhillips] during times in which
    [Olander] is at his employment.” A decree of paternity was
    entered the same day in February 2014, with approval signa-
    tures from both McPhillips and Olander. The decree incorpo-
    rated the parties’ agreed-upon parenting plan. We will refer to
    the court’s decree of paternity and the February 2014 order
    collectively as the “Paternity Decree.”
    The Paternity Decree established that the parties were to
    have joint physical and legal custody of the parties’ minor
    child, Macklin Olander, and required Olander to pay $515
    per month in child support to McPhillips, among other provi-
    sions. In March 2014, the district court issued a nunc pro tunc
    order, stating that the parenting plan attached to the Paternity
    Decree was an earlier draft, and not the final version agreed
    to by the parties. The nunc pro tunc order attached a parent-
    ing plan (Parenting Plan) that both parties agreed was the
    true agreement.
    The Parenting Plan established a 2-week parenting time
    schedule. On “Week 1,” Olander had parenting time Tuesday
    at 8 p.m. until Thursday at 7 a.m., and then Friday at 7 p.m.
    until Saturday at 7 a.m. On “Week 2,” Olander had parent-
    ing time from Wednesday at 7 a.m. until Thursday at 7 a.m.,
    and from Friday evening until Sunday evening. The Parenting
    Plan also required Olander to provide the transportation during
    parenting time exchanges, except for on the weekends, when
    McPhillips was to pick up Macklin at the beginning of her
    parenting time.
    In January 2018, Olander filed a complaint to modify the
    Paternity Decree and the Parenting Plan, stating that a mate-
    rial change in circumstances had occurred since the entry
    of the Paternity Decree and the Parenting Plan. Specifically,
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    Olander alleged that Macklin was in need of health insur-
    ance, and it was in his best interests that one of the parties
    be ordered to maintain health insurance for him. Additionally,
    Olander asserted that “[i]t is in the best interests of [Macklin]
    to change the parenting time schedule to provide [Olander]
    with more time with [Macklin].” Olander further alleged that
    certain terms of the Parenting Plan were no longer relevant,
    necessary, or workable and that the financial circumstances
    of the parties had changed to the extent it was necessary to
    modify Olander’s child support obligation.
    McPhillips filed a counterclaim seeking to modify the
    Paternity Decree and the Parenting Plan as well. She requested
    the court change the Parenting Plan to provide her with more
    parenting time, provide her with more vacation time with
    Macklin, and remove Olander’s mother’s right of first refusal
    one Saturday a month. The court held a trial on both parties’
    complaints to modify in October 2018.
    Before trial, the parties reached several agreements regard-
    ing their modification requests. Those agreements were read
    into the record at trial, and consisted of the following:
    Olander agreed to provide health insurance for Macklin; the
    parties agreed to use Olander’s 2017 tax return for purposes
    of determining his monthly income; they agreed to divide
    daycare expenses pursuant to the percentages determined by
    the child support calculator; they agreed to divide medical
    and other necessary expenses not covered by insurance; they
    agreed that each parent would get 2 weeks of vacation time
    with Macklin per year and, further, that Olander could not
    displace more than 4 days from McPhillips’ parenting time;
    and they agreed that neither party would enroll Macklin in
    extracurricular activities that infringed on the other parent’s
    parenting time.
    At trial, the court stated that it was deciding “an issue or
    two on some of the parenting time.” Olander testified that
    changing the parenting schedule every other week—grant-
    ing him parenting time from Tuesday evening until Thursday
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    morning each week—would provide more consistency for
    Macklin. Olander further testified that Wednesday morning
    exchanges were difficult for Macklin, because it was confus-
    ing for him, and that it would be best to not have a differ-
    ent parenting schedule every other week. Olander testified
    that there had been a problem on Wednesday mornings with
    Macklin not being ready and fed when he arrived for pick
    up. Additionally, Macklin is rushed and tired due to getting
    up earlier for the morning exchange. Olander stated that hav-
    ing only one morning pick up per week would provide more
    consistency, rather than having two morning exchanges every
    other week.
    McPhillips testified that there were problems in the past with
    Olander’s picking up Macklin on Tuesday evenings, because
    Olander did not have a consistent work schedule. McPhillips
    further stated that it was not in Macklin’s best interests to have
    her parenting time begin on Thursday mornings because he is
    tired and does not want to get ready for school after staying
    with Olander. Rather, she indicated that her parenting time
    should begin on Wednesday evening if Olander’s was to begin
    on Tuesday evenings. Her justification was as follows:
    If the defendant is — or the plaintiff is allowed his
    Tuesday night pickup time to not have a morning rush
    and fight with our child, then I would like to be awarded
    the same, that I get a night pickup time to get him ready
    for bed and not have to fight with him in the mornings to
    get ready for school, so that it’s fair for both of us.
    The parties also provided testimony regarding health insur-
    ance for Macklin. Olander informed McPhillips’ counsel that
    he would be providing health insurance for Macklin through
    his employer, but he did not have information stating what the
    benefits would be, and that he would provide more documen-
    tation before the final child support calculation. McPhillips
    acknowledged that Olander agreed to provide health insurance
    for Macklin and that Olander could choose the deductible and
    program that worked for him. Following the testimony, the
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    court stated that it looked for stability and routine in a child’s
    time with each parent. The court then modified Olander’s par-
    enting time, stating that it would run from Tuesday evening
    until Thursday morning every week.
    After trial, Olander drafted an order of modification. The
    order indicated, in relevant part, that he would pay $321 per
    month in child support, and it included a modified parenting
    plan (Modified Parenting Plan), which stated that he would
    have parenting time from Tuesday evening until Thursday
    morning every week. The Modified Parenting Plan also
    included a modified transportation clause, which stated that
    “[u]nless otherwise indicated . . . the party beginning parent-
    ing time shall provide transportation for the parenting time
    exchange.” Further, the Modified Parenting Plan included the
    right of first refusal clause, which stated that “[e]very third
    Saturday, [Olander’s] Mother shall have a superior right of first
    refusal versus [McPhillips] during times in which [Olander] is
    at his employment.”
    McPhillips filed an objection to Olander’s order of modi-
    fication. She argued that Olander unilaterally added language
    modifying the transportation clause and right of first refusal
    from what was stated in the Parenting Plan. McPhillips further
    alleged that Olander improperly calculated his child support
    obligation and that he did not include clauses regarding vaca-
    tion and extracurricular activities. In November 2018, the
    district court modified the Paternity Decree and the Parenting
    Plan (Modification Order). The court’s Modification Order
    established Olander’s child support obligation to be $349 per
    month and ordered Olander to pay 75 percent and McPhillips
    25 percent of various expenses. Otherwise, the court adopted
    Olander’s Modified Parenting Plan, including the transporta-
    tion and right of first refusal clauses.
    In December 2018, McPhillips filed a motion to vacate the
    district court’s Modification Order. In her motion, she alluded
    to a hearing held in chambers on November 27, at which
    “the judge was pressed for time and the parties attempted to
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    address the issues as expeditiously as possible.” There is no
    transcription of this hearing in our record. McPhillips further
    asserted in her motion to vacate that the transportation clause
    and the right of first refusal clause of the Parenting Plan were
    modified, despite her not having agreed to those changes.
    McPhillips also argued that Olander’s income was misrepre-
    sented and that he received a credit for health insurance for
    Macklin, although he was not providing insurance for him.
    Additionally, McPhillips filed a motion for relief from rest to
    present evidence to the court in support of the allegations con-
    tained in her motion to vacate.
    The court held a hearing on McPhillips’ motions in January
    2019. At the hearing, the court stated:
    I got my old notes from some e-mails that came before
    that and what have you, and then we had a little bit of
    an informal hearing off the record at least after that, and
    then I signed a decree. And you brought up some of these
    issues — same issues, I think, and a decree was entered
    November 28th.
    Olander’s counsel argued that McPhillips’ argument was based
    on the fact Olander’s income changed after the trial and that
    he calculated child support appropriately before the trial. He
    further asserted that Olander was initially unable to sign up
    for health insurance for Macklin through his employer with-
    out a court order, because it was not an open enrollment
    period, but he obtained health insurance through the open
    market for that time period. Regarding the added language
    to the Modified Parenting Plan, Olander’s counsel stated that
    McPhillips made the same objections to the court in November
    2018, off the record, and the court already ruled on them, some
    in McPhillips’ favor and some in Olander’s.
    At the close of the January 2019 hearing, the court stated
    that it was going to set the matter for an evidentiary hearing
    only on the issue of child support, which included evaluat-
    ing the parties’ income and whether Olander was provid-
    ing health insurance for Macklin. The hearing took place on
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    March 6; however, we do not have a record of the hearing,
    although McPhillips’ praecipe for a bill of exceptions spe-
    cifically requested that it be included. Following the hearing,
    the district court denied McPhillips’ motion to vacate the
    Modification Order. McPhillips timely appealed.
    ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR
    McPhillips assigns, restated, that the district court abused its
    discretion in modifying the Parenting Plan and erred in deny-
    ing her motion to vacate the Modification Order.
    STANDARD OF REVIEW
    [1,2] Domestic matters such as child support are entrusted to
    the discretion of trial courts. Anderson v. Anderson, 
    290 Neb. 530
    , 
    861 N.W.2d 113
    (2015). Parenting time determinations are
    matters initially entrusted to the discretion of the trial court,
    and although reviewed de novo on the record, the trial court’s
    determination will normally be affirmed absent an abuse of
    discretion. State on behalf of Maddox S. v. Matthew E., 
    23 Neb. Ct. App. 500
    , 
    873 N.W.2d 208
    (2016). An abuse of discretion
    occurs when a trial court bases its decision upon reasons that
    are untenable or unreasonable or if its action is clearly against
    justice or conscience, reason, and evidence.
    Id. A judicial
    abuse
    of discretion requires that the reasons or rulings of the trial
    court be clearly untenable insofar as they unfairly deprive a
    litigant of a substantial right and a just result.
    Id. ANALYSIS McPhillips
    argues that the district court erred in modify-
    ing the Parenting Plan, and in denying her motion to vacate,
    in four ways: First, the district court erred in modifying
    the Parenting Plan to allow Olander to have parenting time
    from Tuesday evening until Thursday morning every week.
    Second, the district court erred in its child support calcula-
    tion. Third, Olander unilaterally modified the transportation
    clause of the Parenting Plan when the parties did not agree to
    do so. Fourth, Olander unilaterally modified the right of first
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    refusal clause in the Parenting Plan. We address each argu-
    ment separately below.
    Modification of Parenting Time.
    McPhillips argues that the district court erred in modify-
    ing the Parenting Plan by changing Olander’s parenting time
    to begin on Tuesday evening instead of Wednesday morning,
    without modifying her parenting time to begin on Wednesday
    evening instead of Thursday morning. We find no abuse of dis-
    cretion in the modification.
    [3,4] Parenting time determinations are matters initially
    entrusted to the discretion of the trial court, and although
    reviewed de novo on the record, the trial court’s determina-
    tion will normally be affirmed absent an abuse of discretion.
    Schriner v. Schriner, 
    25 Neb. Ct. App. 165
    , 
    903 N.W.2d 691
    (2017). The best interests of the children are the primary and
    paramount considerations in determining and modifying par-
    enting time.
    Id. The right
    of parenting time is subject to con-
    tinual review by the court, and a party may seek modification
    of a parenting time order on the grounds that there has been a
    material change in circumstances.
    Id. Here, the
    district court did not abuse its discretion in modi-
    fying Olander’s parenting time. The original parenting plan
    provided Olander with parenting time from Tuesday at 8 p.m.
    to Thursday at 7 a.m. on Week 1 and from Wednesday at 7
    a.m. to Thursday at 7 a.m. on Week 2. Olander testified that
    Macklin was not adjusting to the inconsistency in the weekly
    schedule and that it would be in his best interests if Olander’s
    parenting time began on the same day each week. He explained
    that in addition to the inconsistency, Wednesday morning
    exchanges were chaotic because Macklin was rushed and was
    sleepier because he had to get up earlier. Olander therefore
    proposed that his parenting time each week begin on Tuesday
    evening. Thus, although not explicitly stated, Olander asserted
    that a material change in circumstances had occurred in that
    Macklin was struggling to adjust to the inconsistent parenting
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    schedule that was in place and that modifying the Parenting
    Plan was in Macklin’s best interests.
    [5] In modifying Olander’s parenting time, the court stated,
    “I look for stability or routine in a child’s time period with
    each parent . . . .” Although the court did not state that a
    material change in circumstances had occurred, it implic-
    itly acknowledged that the existing parenting schedule was
    creating instability for Macklin. In the context of marital
    dissolutions, a material change in circumstances means the
    occurrence of something which, had it been known to the
    dissolution court at the time of the initial decree, would
    have persuaded the court to decree differently. Schriner v.
    
    Schriner, supra
    . Therefore, Macklin’s inability to adapt to the
    inconsistent schedule constituted a material change in circum-
    stance. Because the inconsistency arose due to the difference
    in the start date of Olander’s parenting time from Week 1
    to Week 2, in order to make it consistent, the court had the
    option of changing the start time to either Tuesday evening
    or Wednesday morning. Because morning exchanges were
    challenging for Macklin, it made sense that the start date be
    moved to Tuesday evening. We find no abuse of discretion in
    that decision.
    McPhillips claims that the court abused its discretion in
    refusing a reciprocal change in her parenting time to change
    her start time to Wednesday evenings instead of Thursday
    mornings. We disagree. Olander was seeking consistency
    because the start date for his parenting time varied each week
    from Tuesday evening to Wednesday morning and Macklin
    was struggling with that schedule. The start of McPhillips’
    parenting time, however, was consistently Thursday morn-
    ings. Furthermore, it appears the basis for McPhillips’ request
    for a change in parenting time was “so that it’s fair for both
    of us.” The primary focus in a change of parenting time,
    however, is the child’s best interests. We find no abuse of
    discretion in the court’s refusal to modify McPhillips’ parent-
    ing time.
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    Child Support.
    McPhillips asserts that the district court erred in modify-
    ing Olander’s child support obligation in its Modification
    Order and Modified Parenting Plan because there was not suf-
    ficient evidence demonstrating the amount of the health insur-
    ance premium he was paying. Because we do not have a record
    of the March 2019 hearing, we reverse the district court’s
    child support calculation and remand the cause for further
    proceedings.
    As we laid out in greater detail in the background section
    above, following the October 2018 trial and the November
    2018 off-the-record hearing, the district court reduced
    Olander’s child support obligation to $349 per month in
    its Modification Order. In her motion to vacate, McPhillips
    argued that Olander was not providing health insurance for
    Macklin and that the court erred in calculating Olander’s
    child support. A hearing was held on the record in January
    2019, at which McPhillips repeated her arguments that the
    court erred in calculating Olander’s child support. Both the
    court and Olander acknowledged that McPhillips presented
    similar arguments at the November 2018 hearing and that the
    court already ruled on the issues. However, the court sched-
    uled an evidentiary hearing for March 6 to address the issue
    of child support. We have no record before us of the hearing.
    Following the hearing, the court denied McPhillips’ motion
    to vacate.
    Based on the record available to us, it appears that the
    March 2019 hearing was an evidentiary hearing and there-
    fore should have been on the record. See Neb. Ct. R. App. P.
    § 2-105(A)(1) (rev. 2018). McPhillips’ motion for relief from
    rest requested that “she be granted relief from rest [and] that
    additional evidence as to the above stated items be allowed.”
    At the close of the January 2019 hearing on her motion, the
    district court stated that it was going to set “an evidentiary
    hearing” solely on the issue of child support. It explained
    “I’m going to rehear evidence on what he makes, she makes,
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    and this health insurance issue, and we’ll calculate child sup-
    port appropriately.”
    The court’s order denying McPhillips’ motion to vacate
    states that “[t]he Court allowed the hearing to occur, thus the
    record was reopened for purposes of [McPhillips] providing
    further evidence as well as argument to the Court.” We note
    that McPhillips requested a transcript of the March 2019 hear-
    ing in her praecipe for bill of exceptions and that one was
    not provided. We further note Olander’s statement in his brief
    that “[n]either party requested a record” of the March hearing
    and his assertion that it was “incumbent [upon McPhillips] to
    present a record which supports” her assigned error. Brief for
    appellee at 11, 14. McPhillips concurs that there was no record
    from this hearing. However, the absence of a record from an
    evidentiary hearing does not necessitate an affirmance of the
    court’s order.
    Pursuant to § 2-105(A)(1), court reporting personnel “shall
    in all instances make a verbatim record of the evidence offered
    at trial or other evidentiary proceeding, including but not lim-
    ited to objections to any evidence and rulings thereon, oral
    motions, and stipulations by the parties. This record may not
    be waived.” Because the court stated that the March 2019
    hearing was to be an evidentiary hearing, and the record was
    reopened to allow McPhillips to present further evidence on
    the issue of child support, we presume that the hearing was an
    evidentiary hearing and a record was required.
    [6] Where no record of an evidentiary hearing is made, the
    orderly administration of justice requires that the order be
    vacated and the matter remanded for a new evidentiary hearing
    on the record. See Gerdes v. Klindt’s, Inc., 
    247 Neb. 138
    , 
    525 N.W.2d 219
    (1995). See, also, Presle v. Presle, 
    262 Neb. 729
    ,
    
    634 N.W.2d 785
    (2001); Lockenour v. Sculley, 
    8 Neb. Ct. App. 254
    , 
    592 N.W.2d 161
    (1999). Consequently, we reverse the
    district court’s order regarding child support and remand the
    cause to the district court to hold an evidentiary hearing, on
    the record, on the issue of child support, including the parties’
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    income and health insurance for Macklin. Because the March
    2019 hearing was limited solely to the issue of child support,
    our decision does not affect McPhillips’ remaining assigned
    errors, which we address below.
    Modification of Transportation Clause.
    McPhillips argues that the district court erred in modifying
    the transportation clause of the Parenting Plan. We agree.
    The transportation clause in the Parenting Plan required
    Olander to provide the transportation during parenting time
    exchanges, except on the weekends, when McPhillips was to
    pick up Macklin at the beginning of her parenting time. This
    was modified in the Modified Parenting Plan to state that the
    parent beginning parenting time would provide transportation
    for the exchange. Our record does not disclose how this change
    was determined.
    At the October 2018 trial, the agreements the parties reached
    prior to trial were read into the record. There is nothing stated
    on the record regarding transportation, although Olander con-
    tends in his brief that the parties agreed to modify the clause
    prior to trial.
    McPhillips contested the change in transportation prior to
    the November 2018 hearing in her objections to the entry of an
    order of modification filed on November 26 and 27, asserting
    that she never agreed to it. McPhillips also raised the trans-
    portation issue in her motion to vacate after the Modification
    Order was entered. In that motion, she admits that the trans-
    portation issue was addressed at the hearing in chambers in
    November. As to transportation, she alleged:
    The attorney for [Olander] failed to address the following
    issues which were discussed in chambers:
    ....
    b. Transportation was modified when this was not part
    of the agreement and not contained in the Transcript. The
    Judge indicated that this was what he would normally
    allow, as stated in the order signed by the judge, however,
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    discussions with [McPhillips] after the shortened hearing
    indicated that there were substantial reasons why the ini-
    tial transportation language had been included.
    At the January 2019 hearing on that motion, Olander asserted
    that the court had already ruled on the issue. The court stated
    that it had reviewed its notes and communications and that
    McPhillips was raising some of the “same issues.” It allowed
    McPhillips to argue, after stating, “So go ahead and — I think
    I already made a decision on these matters, but go ahead
    and tell me again today what you would like to tell me.”
    Therefore, the record supports a conclusion that the court
    initially addressed the issue either in chambers prior to the
    October 2018 trial or in chambers at the November hearing.
    There is no indication that evidence was received at either of
    those hearings, and it was not part of the stipulation read into
    the record at the October 2018 hearing as a matter to which
    the parties agreed.
    [7] In order to modify a parenting plan, there must be a
    material change in circumstances that affects the best inter-
    ests of the child. See Eric H. v. Ashley H., 
    302 Neb. 786
    ,
    
    925 N.W.2d 81
    (2019). Here, the district court found a mate-
    rial change in circumstances that warranted a modification
    of the Paternity Decree and the Parenting Plan; however, in
    addition to modifying provisions on which the parties agreed
    or on which evidence was received, the court also modified
    the transportation provision. We recognize that under cer-
    tain circumstances, a change in parenting time may neces-
    sitate a change in transportation; however, we find no such
    circumstance here. The primary change as to parenting time
    was to move the start time of Olander’s parenting time from
    Wednesday at 8 a.m. to Tuesday at 8 p.m. It does not appear
    from our record that the parties agreed to a change regarding
    transportation or that the court heard evidence as to why such
    a change was in the child’s best interests. Absent such infor-
    mation, we find that the change in the transportation provision
    constituted an abuse of discretion, and we reverse that portion
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    OLANDER v. McPHILLIPS
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    of the Modified Parenting Plan and remand the cause to the
    district court with instructions to reinstate the provision as
    written in the Parenting Plan attached to the court’s order nunc
    pro tunc filed March 10, 2014.
    Right of First Refusal Clause.
    McPhillips further asserts that the district court erred in
    modifying the right of first refusal clause of the Parenting Plan.
    We disagree.
    As stated in the background section above, the Paternity
    Decree granted Olander’s mother a right of first refusal versus
    McPhillips to watch Macklin every fourth Saturday during
    which Olander was at work. McPhillips asserts that the nunc
    pro tunc order and the attached Parenting Plan, which did not
    include the right of first refusal for Olander’s mother, super-
    seded the Paternity Decree. Therefore, according to McPhillips,
    the inclusion of the right of first refusal in the Modified
    Parenting Plan was a modification which the court included in
    error. We disagree.
    The terms of the nunc pro tunc order state that it modified
    only the Parenting Plan attached to the Paternity Decree; there-
    fore, it did not modify the terms of the Paternity Decree. Our
    reasoning is buttressed by McPhillips’ counterclaim, in which
    she states, “[Olander’s] mother shall no longer be required
    to receive one Saturday each month with [Macklin].” This
    language indicates to us that the parties were operating under
    the terms of the Paternity Decree which granted Olander’s
    mother a right of first refusal versus McPhillips. Consequently,
    the right of first refusal for Olander’s mother was properly
    included in the Modified Parenting Plan because it was carried
    over from the Paternity Decree.
    We acknowledge that the right of first refusal in the Paternity
    Decree was for every fourth Saturday, whereas the right of first
    refusal in the Modified Parenting Plan was for every third
    Saturday. However, McPhillips states in her brief that the
    language in the Modified Parenting Plan “mirrors language
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    that was in the original Parenting plan attached to the origi-
    nal Decree of Paternity.” Brief for appellant at 17. Because
    she takes no issue with the change in Saturdays on which
    Olander’s mother has the right of first refusal, we do not
    address this discrepancy. Thus, the district court did not abuse
    its discretion by including the right of first refusal clause in the
    Modified Parenting Plan.
    CONCLUSION
    For the reasons set forth above, we reverse the provisions of
    the Modification Order regarding child support and transporta-
    tion and remand the cause for further proceedings consistent
    with this opinion. We affirm on all other issues.
    Affirmed in part, and in part reversed and
    remanded for further proceedings.
    

Document Info

Docket Number: A-19-545

Citation Numbers: 28 Neb. Ct. App. 559

Filed Date: 6/30/2020

Precedential Status: Precedential

Modified Date: 4/17/2021