D.G., N/K/A D.H. VS. R.G. (FM-11408-13, MERCER COUNTY AND STATEWIDE) (CONSOLIDATED) ( 2017 )

NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUT THE
APPROVAL OF THE APPELLATE DIVISION
This opinion shall not "constitute precedent or be binding upon any court."
Although it is posted on the internet, this opinion is binding only on the
parties in the case and its use in other cases is limited. R.1:36-3.
SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY
APPELLATE DIVISION
DOCKET NO. A-2542-14T1
A-1188-15T1
D.G., n/k/a
D.H.,
Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
R.G.,
Defendant-Respondent.
_____________________________
Argued May 18, 2017 – Decided July 14, 2017
Before Judges O'Connor and Whipple.
On appeal from Superior Court of New Jersey,
Chancery Division, Family Part, Mercer County,
Docket No. FM-11408-13.
D.H., appellant, argued the cause pro se.
Lindsey Moskowitz Medvin argued the cause for
respondent (Szaferman, Lakind, Blumstein &
Blader, P.C., attorneys; Ms. Moskowitz Medvin,
of counsel and on the briefs).
PER CURIAM
In these back-to-back appeals, plaintiff appeals from a
December 10, 2014 order appointing a therapist for the parties'
son, as well as an August 27, 2015 order addressing numerous
prayers for relief raised by both plaintiff and defendant. We
affirm the December 10, 2014 order; however, we are constrained
to remand the August 27, 2015 order for a statement of reasons.
Plaintiff and defendant were married in May 2001 and had
multiple children. On July 24, 2013, the court entered a dual
final judgment of divorce incorporating a marital settlement
agreement (agreement). Pursuant to the agreement, the parties
shared joint legal custody, and plaintiff had primary residential
custody of the children. Defendant agreed to pay child support
of $385 bi-monthly, and was responsible for providing medical and
dental insurance for the children. Unreimbursed medical expenses
were to be paid in proportion to the parties' net incomes with
defendant responsible for fifty-three percent and plaintiff forty-
seven percent of the payments.
After the parties' divorce, a guidance counselor recommended
the parties' child engage in therapy. On December 20, 2013,
defendant moved to compel plaintiff to cooperate with arranging
counseling for the child and to pay her share of the counseling
in accordance with the parties' agreement. On January 10, 2014,
the trial judge granted defendant's motion.
Despite the court order, the child did not receive counseling;
therefore, defendant moved on April 25, 2014, to hold plaintiff
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in contempt for noncompliance with the court's January 10, 2014
order. According to defendant's motion, plaintiff rejected
defendant's suggested therapists because she did not have enough
advance notice of the therapy appointments, had not reviewed the
therapist's qualifications, or the therapist was out of network.
The court denied defendant's motion on May 2, 2014, but ordered
the parties to work collaboratively to ensure the child was in
therapy as soon as possible. Additionally, the court appointed a
guardian ad litem (GAL) to prepare a report for the court about
all the children.
The GAL issued her report in October 2014. At that time, the
parties had still not agreed upon a therapist to address their
child's needs, and the GAL suggested another child could benefit
from similar counseling. The GAL recommended the court order
defendant and plaintiff to attend mediation and remain in the
courthouse until both parents agreed upon a therapist. The GAL
suggested both parties bring a list of therapists to mediation to
avoid court appointment of a therapist, as plaintiff expressed
concerns over the affordability of a court appointed-therapist.
However, if no agreement ensued, the GAL recommended the court
appoint a therapist, order defendant to pay the entirety of the
bill, and order defendant's child support payments reduced
commensurate to the amount of plaintiff's proportionate share.
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After an unsuccessful mediation session on December 10, 2014,
the parties appeared before the trial judge for case management.
Counsel for defendant told the judge the issue between the parties
was whether or not the counselor should have a Ph.D., and whether
the counselor should be in-network in order to reduce costs.
Counsel informed the court the GAL found and approved a qualified
psychologist with a Ph.D.; however, the psychologist was out-of-
network. Defendant tried unsuccessfully to find a suitable
healthcare provider in-network. According to defendant, his
insurance provider provides limited reimbursements per session to
a mental health professional, and he could not find a qualified
psychologist in-network. Plaintiff, dissatisfied with defendant's
choice, asserted dire financial circumstances due to unemployment.
She claimed she could not even afford to send the parties' youngest
child to daycare, and that her home was in foreclosure.
The judge informed plaintiff she would have to make certain
arrangements, such as obtaining a job, because based upon the
GAL's report the children needed therapy. The judge concluded the
conference, but ordered them to remain in the courthouse until
they could agree upon a plan for the children's therapy.
After a recess, the court re-opened the record; however,
plaintiff was absent. According to defendant's counsel, he
provided plaintiff with a list of qualified psychologists and told
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her he and defendant would be going across the street for coffee.
When they returned later, plaintiff was nowhere to be found.
Plaintiff texted defendant informing him she would be gone for
twenty minutes but later texted she would be gone for an hour.
Defendant's counsel informed the judge plaintiff left the
courthouse. Defendant texted plaintiff, informing her the judge
instructed she return to the courthouse in ten minutes. Plaintiff
responded she was making phone calls and would be back in five
minutes. When the judge went back on the record, plaintiff was
not present.
The judge entered an order assigning defendant's choice of
psychologist and ordering defendant to pay for the cost.
Defendant's child support payments were reduced by the amount of
plaintiff's contribution for unreimbursed medical costs.
Additionally, the court ordered plaintiff to cooperate with
defendant and ensure the children attend the sessions with the
psychologist.
Plaintiff moved to stay the December 10, 2014 order.
Following oral argument, the trial judge denied the stay. An
appeal of that order followed.
Shortly thereafter, on December 22, 2014, plaintiff filed an
omnibus motion raising thirty prayers for relief. Defendant filed
a cross-motion, and plaintiff filed an additional motion to enforce
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litigants' rights. Argument for these new motions was scheduled
for February 20, 2015.
On or about January 30, 2015, plaintiff hired counsel. Oral
argument on the motions were adjourned without a date. Plaintiff
filed another motion requesting the court clarify the December 10,
2014 order, defendant pay child support and alimony on a timely
basis, and that defendant pay plaintiff $1275.51 in arrears.
On August 27, 2015, the trial judge issued an order addressing
all fifty-one items of relief requested in the aggregate by both
parties. Among other things, the judge ordered plaintiff to
cooperate with effectuating the children's counseling.
Additionally, the judge granted defendant temporary primary
physical and residential custody of one of the children pending
an evaluation. Each item of relief ordered by the judge was set
forth in a separate paragraph in the order. Immediately following
the sentence identifying the specific relief ordered, the judge
added an explanation for the relief ordered. However, the
explanation was just a few words and far too brief to communicate
the court's reasons for providing the subject relief. Plaintiff
subsequently moved for reconsideration of the August 27, 2015
order.
On October 30, 2015, the court heard oral argument on
plaintiff's motion for reconsideration. Plaintiff had new counsel
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on this date, who asserted the August 27, 2015 order was deficient
because the court provided no factual and legal conclusions. The
judge referred to the parties' counsel's telephone conference in
June 2015, saying he
scratched out some general comments as to what
– where [he] was going with the motion that
[he] shared with both attorneys so that they
were aware of what the – let's say the
rationale was for many of the decisions that
have been placed in this order so that [he]
was satisfied both parties were aware of the
– let's say the rational and the conclusions
that were ultimately were put into this order.
Additionally, the judge stated,
it was agreed that the Court would issue an
order based primarily on what had been shared
with both parties. And you know, so for
purposes of let's say minimizing, this would
have probably been a 50 or 60 page opinion but
most of the conclusions and rationale had
already been shared with the parties.
The trial judge denied plaintiff's motion for
reconsideration, finding she had "neither alleged a palpably
incorrect or irrational basis for the prior order nor demonstrated
that it was an obvious failure by the Court to consider competent
evidence at the time of the modification hearing." Plaintiff
appealed both the August 27 and October 30, 2015 orders.
Our standard of review is as follows. "[F]indings by the
trial court are binding on appeal when supported by adequate,
substantial, credible evidence." Cesare v. Cesare, 154 N.J. 394,
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411-12 (1998) (citing Rova Farms Resort, Inc. v. Inv'rs Ins. Co.,
65 N.J. 474, 484 (1974)). "Because of the family courts' special
jurisdiction and expertise in family matters, appellate courts
should accord deference to family court fact-finding." Id. at
413. However, "[a] trial court's interpretation of the law and
the legal consequences that flow from established facts are not
entitled to any special deference." Manalapan Realty v. Twp.
Comm. of Manalapan, 140 N.J. 366, 378 (1995) (citations omitted).
I.
We first address the December 10, 2014 order concerning the
appointment of a therapist. Plaintiff argues the trial court
erred in entering the order, asserting she should have been
permitted to present evidence of her financial situation and the
other in-network psychologists available. We disagree.
The best interests of the child is the court's primary
consideration in custody cases. Kinsella v. Kinsella, 150 N.J.
276, 317 (1997). When there is a "genuine and substantial factual
dispute regarding the welfare of the children," a plenary hearing
is required. Hand v. Hand, 391 N.J. Super. 102, 105 (App. Div.
2007). Here, there is no dispute the two children needed
counseling. The question properly centered upon who the therapist
should be, a decision within the court's discretion. There was
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no "genuine and substantial factual dispute" requiring a plenary
hearing.
Almost one year prior to the challenged order, defendant
initiated efforts to commence counseling. In that year, the
parties failed to agree upon a therapist. After giving the parties
many opportunities to come to an agreement, plaintiff left the
courthouse without resolution of the issue. The judge entered an
order appointing a therapist, directing defendant to pay the
entirety of the bill, and reducing defendant's support payments
by the amount of plaintiff's share of unreimbursed medical
expenses.
Plaintiff has not established any legal error in the court's
order nor any abuse of the court's discretion. "Family Part judges
are frequently called upon to make difficult and sensitive
decisions regarding the safety and well-being of children." Id.
at 111. Family Part judges have "special expertise in family
matters" and we will "not second-guess their findings and the
exercise of their sound discretion." Ibid. Here, the Family Part
judge did not abuse his discretion in ordering defendant to pay
for the psychologist's bill, while having his child support
payments reduced to reflect plaintiff's share of unreimbursed
medical expenses, a result completely consistent with the parties'
agreement. We therefore affirm the December 10, 2014 order.
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II.
We next address plaintiff's appeal of the August 27, 2015
order. Plaintiff argues she had no opportunity to presents facts
or argue the omnibus motion filed December 22, 2014 and ultimately
decided on August 27, 2015. Additionally, she argues the court
should not have changed custody of one child without a hearing.
Because the trial judge failed to provide a sufficient statement
of reasons in the August 27, 2015 order, we are constrained to
remand the matter for the judge to provide his reasons for granting
or denying the specific relief in the August 27 order plaintiff
challenged in her motion for reconsideration.
Rule 1:7-4(a) states "[t]he court shall, by an opinion or
memorandum decision, either written or oral, find the facts and
state its conclusions of law thereon in all actions tried without
a jury, on every motion decided by a written order that is
appealable as of right . . . ." When a trial judge fails to
provide his or her factual findings, this court's review is impeded
and a remand is necessary. Elrom v. Elrom, 439 N.J. Super. 424,
443 (App. Div. 2015). A trial judge must make specific findings
on the record in order for this court to be "informed of the
rationale underlying his conclusion." Esposito v. Esposito, 158
N.J. Super. 285, 291 (App. Div. 1978).
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What the Family Part judge offered fell short of the
requirements of Rule 1:7-4. While some of the fifty-one items of
relief are followed by a conclusory sentence ostensibly explaining
the ruling, we are not provided any insight into the judge's
"rationale underlying his conclusion." See ibid.
At oral argument on the motion for reconsideration, the trial
judge explained the rationale for his order was provided during a
telephonic conference between court and counsel. However, the
telephone conference was not recorded or transcribed; therefore,
the judge cannot rely upon a proceeding never memorialized as his
statement of reasons. Moreover, the parties were not present
during the telephone conference, and plaintiff was represented by
new counsel following the conference who had not been privy to
what was discussed. Rule 1:7-4 mandates the court provide a
statement of reasons. Without a statement of reasons, we cannot
meaningfully review the August 27, 2015 order, and we are
constrained to remand.
Of particular concern is the temporary change in custody of
the child without a hearing. When modifying custody or parenting
time a party must "demonstrate changed circumstances that affect
the welfare of the children." Hand, supra, 391 N.J. Super. at
105-06. Additionally, a plenary hearing is necessary when there
is a "genuine and substantial factual dispute regarding the welfare
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of the children." Ibid. However, a plenary hearing is not always
necessary. Id. at 106. When determining whether a plenary hearing
is necessary, "the threshold issue is whether the movant has made
a prima facie showing that a plenary hearing is necessary." Ibid.
Defendant moved to modify the parties' agreement to obtain
temporary physical and residential custody of one child. It is
not clear, based upon the record, whether defendant made a showing
so clear and irrefutable a plenary hearing was not necessary,
because the judge made no factual findings or legal conclusions.
We cannot discern on what basis the temporary change in custody
was made. We note the transfer was temporary, but we recognize
almost two years have passed since the entry of this order and the
child is still residing with his father. As such, the Family Part
judge should address the issue of custody first and if a plenary
hearing is necessary, conduct such hearing as soon as possible.
Plaintiff's additional arguments are without sufficient merit
to warrant discussion in a written opinion. R. 2:11-3(e)(1)(E).
Affirmed in part; remanded in part for findings consistent
with this opinion. We do not retain jurisdiction.
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