ÿWPC“ 1# ¾UNÉ % 0(w@E4…™¨ 0@° 0lð 0D\ 0J  0Tê 0^> 0hœ 0r 0|v 0†ò 0x 1u 0d} AQá Æ2 0Dø B< 0DY D/ BÌ D3é U> B)Z DCƒ AMÆ U* = v~BvÓÀ˜HP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,ü,,,,,ü0nLlÎ(ÈhH  Z 6Times New Roman RegularX($¡¡ D D   D VÓ€n~<$Ôô3|x("ÿÿ$££Ò  ÒÒ  Ò((3üÝ$¤¤Ý ƒ!ÝÝ  Ýà  àòòÚ  Ú0Ú  Úóó(#Ã$òòÚ  Ú0Ú  Úóó2 ÿÿ0Indent1Ô2ÔÔ3  Ô2" ÿÿ0Indent2à0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2, ÿÿ0Indent3à0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô26 ÿÿ0Indent4à0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2@ ÿÿ0Indent5à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2J ÿÿ0Indent6à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2T ÿÿ0Indent7à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2^ ÿÿ0Indent8à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô ÿÿ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P ÿÿ8Mac DefaultMac DefaultÓ ` °šXÓ ! #%Cþÿ<< CÿÿƒLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3¯$¢¢Ý ƒ!ÝÝ  Ý d($$””ò òÚ  Ú1Ú  Úó ó'''÷ÿ dxdüÿP Pd""""'ÿÿdxd< Œ 9p`(&Times New Roman% Line 7 d****7Border 1dd +Cþÿ << Gÿÿ< Œ 9p`(Arial ûÝ ƒ!ÝÔ€)ÔÝ  ÝÝ ƒ!"ÝÝ  ÝÔ€-ÔÔ€-ÔÓ  ÓÔ YYY ÔFILEDÔ€-XÔÌÌò òAugust€17,€1998ÌÌCecil€Crowson,€Jr.ÌÔ€-ôÔAppellate€Court€Clerkó óPtPtHHÚ(ÿáÿâùFG(üHHÚ(d'hStyl{WP}01•ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃà Ãà Ãà Ãà Ãà ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÐ ÐÐHHÐÐ  ÐÐ2ÐÐÿÿ¸æ$ÿÐÐHHÐÐÐÐÐÐÐÐ  ÐÐ ÐÐ ÐÑÑÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÑ € ÑÑ<Px–ÈÑÒÒÒ443!#4ÒÒ$ *$ÒÒ$*$ÒÒ ÿKK ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÓ.,ÓÓÓÓ6ÓÓ ÓßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÒ  h HD: Geneva ÒÒ  h HD: Geneva ÒÝ ƒ!ÝÔ . ÔÔ€)ÔÝ  ÝÓ  ÓÑ\R AØ'\ÑÑ7€,‹XXdðXXdð7ÑÙ€ ÙßR€,.+A1-j|o` Å `€€@ÿRß›Þ ÞÌà@ àò òIN€THE€COURT€OF€APPEALS€OF€TENNESSEEÌà@ àAT€JACKSONÌ€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€òò€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ÌÌóóÌKAREN€L.€SMALLWOOD€DAVIS,à à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àœó óPetitioner/Appellant,›à àà àà àò ò)à àó óChester€Chancery€No.€8614€€€€€Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àò ò)Ìvs.à àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àó óAppeal€No.€02A01„9706„CH„00131ò òÌHERBERT€LEE€SMALLWOOD,€JR.,€à à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àœó óRespondent/Appellee.›à àà àò ò)ÌÌÌÌó óÌÌà0 àà àà@ àAPPEAL€FROM€THE€CHANCERY€COURT€OF€CHESTER€COUNTYÌà@ àAT€HENDERSON,€TENNESSEEÌÌÌÌÌà@ àTHE€HONORABLE€JOE€C.€MORRIS,€CHANCELLORÌÌÌÌòòÌÌFor€the€œPetitioner/Appellantóó:òò›à àà àà àFor€the€œRespondent/Appellantóó:›ÌÌChristopher€L.€Brownà àà àà àLarry€F.€McKenzie€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ÌBartlett,€Tennessee€€à àà àà àà àHenderson,€Tennessee€€€€ÌÌÌò òà àà àà àà àà àà àAFFIRMEDó óÌÌÌÌà àà àà àà àà àà àHOLLY€KIRBY€LILLARD,€J.ÌÌÌCONCUR:ÌÌÌW.€FRANK€CRAWFORD,€P.J.,€W.S.ÌÌÌHEWITT€P.€TOMLIN,€JR.,€SP.J.€€ÌÇØØÙ  ÙÓÓÑ7€,‹XXdðXXdð7ÑÑ  Ñà@ àò òOPINIONó óÌà àThis€is€a€post„divorce€child€custody€case.€€The€partiesðð€Marital€Dissolution€AgreementÏprovided€that€the€parties€would€have€joint€custody€of€the€partiesðð€minor€children,€and€that€theÏchildren€would€live€with€the€husband.€€In€this€action,€the€mother€sought€a€change€of€custody,Ïbased€on€allegations€that€the€husband€improperly€cared€for€the€teenage€children.€€After€hearing€theÏpartiesðð€testimony€and€interviewing€the€children,€the€trial€court€denied€the€petition€for€change€ofÏcustody.€€We€affirm.Ìà àKaren€Lynn€Smallwood€œDavis›€(ð ðMotherðð)€and€Herbert€Lee€Smallwood,€Jr.€(ð ðFatherðð)€wereÏdivorced€on€July€22,€1994,€on€the€basis€of€irreconcilable€differences.€€The€Marital€DissolutionÏAgreement€provided€that€the€parties€would€have€joint€custody€of€the€partiesðð€three€minor€children,Ïand€that€the€children€would€live€with€Father.€€The€court€granted€Mother€liberal€visitation€rights,€andÏordered€her€to€pay€child€support€to€Father.€€Ìà àOn€January€12,€1996,€Mother€filed€a€petition€alleging€that€a€change€of€circumstancesÏnecessitated€a€change€in€custody€arrangements.€€Father€filed€a€petition€to€increase€child€support€œasÏwell€as€alleged›€arrearages€in€child€support.€€€At€the€time€of€trial,€the€partiesðð€two€sons€were€ages€18Ïand€14,€and€their€daughter€was€age€16.€€Ìà àUpon€request€of€the€parties,€the€trial€court€spoke€separately€with€each€of€the€partiesðð€threeÏchildren€before€trial€in€chambers.€€No€lawyers€were€present€during€the€interviews,€and€theÏconversations€were€not€recorded.€€Ìà àAt€trial,€Mother€and€Father€were€the€only€witnesses.€Mother€testified€that€Fatherððs€workÏrequired€him€to€travel€and€that€the€children€were€often€left€by€themselves.€€She€alleged€that€FatherÏbrought€women€home€for€overnight€visits€and€that€Father€had€œtaken›€the€older€son€and€an€underageÏfriend€to€a€nightclub€in€Memphis.€€Mother€expressed€concern€about€the€partiesðð€daughter,€who€isÏmentally€disabled,€because€Father€had€taken€her€out€of€a€special€class€at€her€school.€€€She€allegedÏthat€while€the€children,€including€œthe€mentally›€disabled€daughter,€were€at€home€unsupervised,Ïteenage€boys€came€in€and€out€of€the€house€at€will.€€She€acknowledged€that€Fatherððs€mother€livedÏwith€Father€and€the€children,€but€alleged€that€œFatherððs€mother€was›€ill€with€cancer,€spent€most€of€herÍtime€in€bed,€and€was€unable€to€care€for€herself€or€the€children.€€œMother›€argued€that€most€teenagersÏwould€prefer€to€live€in€an€environment€with€little€supervision€or€discipline,€but€that€living€in€suchÏan€environment€was€not€in€their€best€interest.Ìà àFather€testified€that€he€had€been€dating€a€woman€who€lived€in€Mississippi€for€over€a€year.€ÏHe€acknowledged€that€she€had€spent€weekends€with€the€family€at€Fatherððs€home€in€Henderson,€butÏasserted€that€there€was€nothing€unwholesome€about€the€visits.€€Father€also€acknowledged€that€œheÏhad›€taken€the€partiesðð€oldest€son,€a€musician,€and€a€friend€to€a€jazz€concert€at€a€club€in€Memphis,Ïwhere€the€boys€had€soft€drinks€and€Father€had€one€beer.€€Father€testified€that€it€was€Mother€whoÏhad€removed€their€daughter€from€her€special€resource€class,€and€that€Father€œhad€placed›€the€œdaughter›œ›Ïback€into€the€special€class.€€Father€testified€that€his€motherððs€cancer€was€in€remission€and€that€sheÏwas€not€disabled.€€He€stated€that€she€cooked€and€cleaned€the€house€and€took€care€of€the€children.€ÏFather€asserted€that€he€had€left€the€children€alone€overnight€œfor€only›€one€night,€and€that€on€thisÏoccasion€the€partiesðð€oldest€son,€age€seventeen,€was€in€charge€and€that€Father€checked€with€themÏfrequently€by€telephone.€€Father€asserted€and€Mother€acknowledged€that,€in€the€past,€she€hadÏsuffered€from€depression€and€anxiety€and€had€been€hospitalized€for€treatment.€€Ìà àSubsequently,€the€trial€court€entered€an€order€dismissing€Motherððs€petition€for€change€ofÏcustody,€noting€that€the€children€had€said€in€chambers€that€they€were€happy€living€with€Father.€ÏThe€trial€court€also€increased€Motherððs€child€support€obligation€from€$150€per€month€to€$840€perÏmonth,€and€œawarded›€Father€a€judgment€for€past€due€child€support€and€medical€bills€totalingÏ$2,463.77,€as€well€as€$1,500€in€attorneyððs€fees.€€From€this€order,€Mother€now€appeals.Ìà àOn€appeal,€Mother€argues€that€the€trial€court€improperly€dismissed€her€petition€for€changeÏof€custody€based€solely€on€the€interviews€with€the€children.€€€Mother€also€argues€that€the€evidenceÏœdemonstrates›€a€change€in€circumstances€sufficient€to€warrant€a€change€in€custody,€and€that€theÏevidence€œpreponderates›€against€the€trial€courtððs€decision.€€€Ìà àThe€issue€of€child€custody€is€reviewed€òòò òde€novoó óóó,€with€a€presumption€of€correctness€in€theÏcourt's€findings€of€fact,€unless€the€evidence€preponderates€against€them.€€Tenn.€R.€App.€P.€13(d).€ÍThe€best€œinterest›€of€the€children€œis›€the€primary€concern€in€these€proceedings.€ò òòòKoch€v.€Kochóóó ó,€874ÏS.W.2d€571,€575€(Tenn.€App.€1993).€€Ìà àThe€trial€court€is€granted€wide€discretion€in€determining€custody€and€visitationÏarrangements.€€òòò òSee€Varley€v.€Varleyó óóó,€934€S.W.2d€659,€665€(Tenn.€App.€1996);€òòò òMimms€v.ÏMimmsó óóó,€780€S.W.2d€739€(Tenn.€App.€1989).€€Under€Tennessee€Code€Annotated€ðð€36„6„106,Ïthe€trial€court€may€take€into€account€the€preferences€of€the€children€if€they€are€twelve€years€old€orÏolder.€€However,€interviews€in€chambers,€where€custody€is€at€issue€and€the€testimony€is€notÏrecorded,€ð ðshould€be€discouraged.ðð€òòò òScarbrough€v.€Scarbroughó óóó,€752€S.W.2d€œ94,€97›€(Tenn.ÏApp.€1988).€€€òòò òSee€also€Rutherford€v.€Rutherfordó óóó,€No.€œ03A01„9708„CV„00313,›€œ1997€WLÏ746774,›€(Nov.€26,€1997),€which€involved€the€interview€of€a€six„year„old€child.€€The€œrecord€inÏò òòòRutherfordó óóó›€included€œno›€transcript€of€the€interview.€€œThe›€parties€did€not€request€that€the€trial€judgeÏinterview€the€six„year„old,€and€the€interview€was€deemed€reversible€error.€€In€this€case,€however,Ïthe€parties€agreed€to€have€the€trial€court€interview€the€children,€with€no€witnesses€present.€€œInÏaddition,€the›€children€were€œolder.›€€œMost€importantly,€the›€order€of€the€trial€court€makes€it€clear€thatÏthe€trial€court€relied€on€other€evidence€in€making€his€decision.€€The€order€states€that€the€decision€ofÏthe€trial€court€was€based€on€the€pleadings,€the€testimony€of€the€witnesses,€the€interviews€with€theÏchildren€and€the€record€as€a€whole.€€ð ðIt€has€long€been€the€rule€in€Tennessee€that€a€private€interviewÏof€the€court€with€a€minor€child€is€not€objectionable€where€the€decision€as€to€custody€is€based€solelyÏor€primarily€upon€evidence€heard€in€open€court.ðð€òòò òTodd€v.€Toddó óóó,€œ03A01„9108„CH„00284,›€1992ÏWL€55578,€at€*2€(Tenn.€App.€Mar.€24,€1992)€(citing€òòò òHicks€v.€Hicksó óóó,€26€Tenn.€App.€641,€176ÏS.W.2d€371€(1943)).€€Under€all€of€these€circumstances,€the€trial€courtððs€decision€œto€interview›€theÏteenage€children€in€chambers€without€the€partiesðð€lawyers€present€was€not€an€abuse€of€discretion.€€Ìà àMother€also€argues€that€the€evidence€preponderates€against€the€trial€courtððs€decision.€€TheÏpartiesðð€testimony€at€trial€clearly€required€the€trial€court€to€assess€the€credibility€and€demeanor€of€theÏwitnesses.€€Where€the€issues€at€trial€require€a€determination€of€the€credibility€of€witnesses,€the€trialÏcourtððs€ð ðfindings€of€credibility€are€entitled€to€great€weight.ðð€€òòò òTenn„Tex€Properties€v.ÍBrownell„Electro,€Inc.ó óóó,€778€S.W.2d€423,€œ426›€(Tenn.€1989);€òòò òBrewer€v.€Breweró óóó,€869ÏS.W.2d€œ928›€(Tenn.€App.€1993).€€€After€reviewing€the€record,€we€do€not€find€that€the€evidenceÏpreponderates€against€the€trial€courtððs€findings.€€The€decision€of€the€trial€court€is€affirmed.€Ìà àFather€has€requested€that€this€Court€award€him€attorneyððs€fees€incurred€in€this€œappeal.€ÏFather›€has€not€alleged€that€he€is€unable€to€pay€his€attorneyððs€fees€on€appeal,€and€we€decline€toÏaward€such€fees.€€ò òòòSee€Batson€v.€Batsonó óóó,€769€S.W.2d€849,€862€(Tenn.€App.€1989);ò òòò€Folk€v.ÏFolkó óóó,€357€S.W.2d€828,€829€(Tenn.€1962).̜Ǜà àThe€decision€of€the€trial€court€is€affirmed.€€Costs€are€assessed€against€the€Appellant,€forÏwhich€execution€may€issue,€if€necessary.€€ÌÌÓÓà àà àà àà àà àòò€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ìà àà àà àà àà àò òóóHOLLY€KIRBY€LILLARD,€J.Ìó óà àò òÌCONCUR:ÌÌÌòò€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ÌóóW.€FRANK€CRAWFORD,€P.€J.,€W.S.ÌÌÌòò€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€óóÌHEWITT€P.€TOMLIN,€JR.€SP.J.ó óÌ