ÿWPCÆ! ç¯ne¢QˆU@ê0A…zðg‡’.˜TªÏ4ÑÏßTk¸ÄêÃ?fRÀ;F×lâÖ‰Ì#VÓàdï™@¶›´Vé?(~³.ÿ‰Ê{+¶KÕ¯½ô¶ÑÛPëoa 1~‹lV–ûÉ>æ†7xµª#‚¬ íô…[X3^£ó¢ó—T žª,ÁÍì¦+eˆF £h2üçß^è !È·)-ï}º}¿ÏP0-/ðã't]í…ÁÔä8l:pÉåêâì0rA´ëVišó*Ÿ—C'XŸ-àÈnWMnFŤwK îo%Ë,ýηáÂwAïh×ÉkÄ;µS˜„K%"ú¤Ê“‘(廈-WÖOoð¹rñ›i_kí@µ»œ7Z¢ãFñîØö-#•V*·úC/ý6ú?0\b­%̘-M±e¸üùHµ ¹rUh|Ž*¶n=\ã>FÄn«w%Oÿ³ŸÌêû%ß6ü® ›à6¶wãö6+å—ý?\h³üo2¨" ÍÀ§)µ´¶%ú޲è„TTœƒëŸñÊüq‚4 %p Ž Ðwill€call€the€doctrine€of€ð ðcomparative€fitness.ðð€€The€paramount€concern€in€childÐ 0 € Ðcustody€cases€is€the€welfare€and€best€interest€of€the€child.€€òòMollish€v.€Mollishóó,€494Ð " r ÐS.W.2d€145,€151€(Tenn.€Ct.€App.€1972).€€There€are€literally€thousands€of€things€thatÐ  d  Ðmust€be€taken€into€consideration€in€the€lives€of€young€children,€òòSmith€v.€Smithóó,€188Ð V  ÐTenn.€430,€437,€220€S.W.2d€627,€630€(1949),€and€these€factors€must€be€reviewed€onÐ øH  Ða€comparative€approach:Ðê: Ð Ð  ÐÌà8  àð ðFitness€for€custodial€responsibilities€is€òòlargely€a€comparative€matteróó.€€No€humanÐ Î  Ðbeing€is€deemed€perfect,€hence€no€human€can€be€deemed€a€perfectly€fit€custodian.€Ð À ÐNecessarily,€therefore,€the€courts€must€determine€which€of€the€two€or€more€availableÐ ² Ðcustodians€is€more€or€less€fit€than€others.ðð€€òòEdwards€v.€Edwardsóó,€501€S.W.2d€283,Ð ¤ô Ð290„291€(Tenn.€Ct.€App.€1973)€(emphasis€supplied).ЖæÐ Ð  ÐÔ#†X+¬XXX+¬*g#ÔÔ‡X+¬XXX+¬ÔÌòòBahóó,€668€S.W.2d€at€666.Ô#†X+¬XXX+¬Pp#ÔÔ‡X+¬XXX+¬Ô€Ð zÊ ÐÌÔ#†X+¬XXX+¬°p#Ôà  àIn€the€case€before€us,€the€trial€court€did€not€make€any€findings€related€to€the€best€interest€orÐ ^® Ðcomparative€fitness€analysis€since€the€court€found€there€was€no€material€change€of€circumstances.€Ð P  ÐWhile€the€record€before€us€contains€some€evidence€on€the€factors€to€be€considered,€we€are€reluctantÐ B’ Ðto€make€such€findings€ourselves.€€In€view€of€the€changes€the€children€have€undergone€since€the€trialÐ 4„ Ðcourtððs€order,€we€are€of€the€opinion€that€a€determination€of€the€best€interest€of€the€children€shouldÐ &v Ðbe€based€on€more€recent€information.€€For€example,€there€was€testimony€about€the€oldest€sonððsÐ ° Ðbehavioral€and€emotional€problems€as€well€as€difficulties€at€school.€€Father€testified€those€problemsÐ ¢ò Ðhad€decreased€or€been€eliminated€during€the€time€the€children€lived€with€him€and€had€no€exposureÐ ”ä Ðto€the€stepfather.€€The€duration,€extent,€and€cause€of€those€problems€were€disputed€by€Mother.€€TheÐ †Ö Ðwelfare€of€these€children€is€of€prime€importance,€and€a€decision€on€custody€should€take€intoÐ xÈ Ðconsideration€their€progress€and€their€current€condition.€€Therefore,€we€remand€this€case€for€aÐ j º Ðdetermination€by€the€trial€court€of€a€custody€arrangement€which€will€serve€the€best€interest€of€theÐ \ ¬ Ðchildren.€€We€also€direct€the€court€to€set€the€matter€for€hearing€as€expeditiously€as€possible.Ð N ž ÐÌà@vv(ìàIII.ˆÐ 2 ‚  ÐÌà  àFather€also€requested€that€the€trial€court€award€him€back€child€support€and€certain€expenses€Ð f  Ðfor€the€time€he€had€custody€of€the€children.€€The€trial€court€did€not€specifically€rule€on€this€request,Ð X  Ðand€that€silence€is€in€effect€a€denial.€€Mother€was€never€ordered€to€pay€child€support€when€sheÐ úJ  Ðrelinquished€custody€to€her€mother,€and€Mother€was€not€a€party€to€the€agreed€order€and€was,Ð ì<  Ðtherefore,€not€ordered€to€pay€support€at€that€time€either.Ð Þ. ÐÌà  àHowever,€every€parent€is€obligated€to€support€his€or€her€children€during€their€minority.€€Tenn.Ð Â ÐCode€Ann.€ðð€34„11„102.€€The€obligations€of€parents€to€support,€care€for€and€nurture€their€childrenÐ ´ Ðare€joint,€and€the€extent€of€their€duty€to€support€depends€on€their€ability€to€provide€that€support.€Ð ¦ö ÐòòState€ex€rel.€Grant€v.€Prograisóó,€979€S.W.2d€594,€600„01€(Tenn.€Ct.€App.€1997).€€If€necessary,€theÐ ˜è Ðcourts€may€apportion€the€responsibility€for€support€between€the€parents€according€to€their€respectiveÐ ŠÚ Ðabilities€to€provide€support.€€òòId.€óóat€601.€€Accordingly,€relevant€statutes€and€regulations€governingÐ |Ì Ðchild€support€are€intended€ð ðto€assure€that€children€receive€support€reasonably€consistent€with€theirÐ n¾ Ðparent€or€parentsðð€financial€resources.ðð€€òòÔ‡X+¬XXX+¬ÔState€ex€rel.€Vaughn€v.€Kaatrudeóó,€21€S.W.3d€244,€248„49Ð `° Ð(Tenn.€Ct.€App.€2000).Ð R¢ ÐÌà  àThis€obligation€to€provide€support€exists€without€a€court€order.Ô#†X+¬XXX+¬}#Ô€€Ô‡X+¬XXX+¬ÔFor€example,€in€òòÔ_ÔKaatrudeÔ_Ôóó,Ð 6† Ðthe€biological€father€was€unaware€he€had€a€child€until€the€Department€of€Human€Services,€on€behalfÐ (x Ðof€the€mother,€initiated€proceedings€to€establish€paternity€and€to€obtain€past€and€future€child€supportÐ  j Ðwhen€the€child€was€fifteen€years€old.€€When€blood€tests€confirmed€he€was€the€childððs€biologicalÐ  !\ Ðfather,€Mr.€Kaatrude€indicated€his€willingness€to€pay€support€prospectively.€€This€court€affirmed€theÐ þ!N Ðtrial€courtððs€determination€that€he€should€also€pay€child€support€going€back€to€the€birth€of€the€child.€Ð ð"@  Ð21€S.W.3d€at€248.€€In€explaining€the€reasons€for€an€award€of€back€support,€this€court€stated:Ð â#2! ÐÌà8  àMr.€Kaatrudeððs€duty€to€provide€support€existed€during€all€those€years,€and€his€lackÐ Æ%!# Ðof€financial€assistance€during€that€time€either€required€Ms.€Vaughn€to€shoulder€moreÐ ¸&"$ Ðthan€her€share€of€the€support€responsibility€or,€more€likely,€caused€the€child€to€get€byÐ ª'ú"% Ðwith€less.€€An€award€of€back€child€support€fills€this€gap.М(ì#&Ð Ð  ÐÌòòId.Ð €*Ð%( ÐÐ r+Â&) Ðà  àóóWith€regard€to€the€proper€amount€of€back€child€support€in€òòKaatrudeóó,€we€vacated€the€$50,000Ð ° Ðaward€ordered€by€the€trial€court€because€there€was€no€evidence€introduced€at€trial€which€establishedÐ ¢ò Ðthat€the€amount€of€the€award€bore€a€ð ðtraceable€relation€to€Mr.€Kaatrudeððs€actual€ability€to€supportÐ ”ä Ðhis€son€from€1981€to€1996.ðð€€òòId.óó€at€249.€òò€óóDetermining€that€the€record€did€not€allow€us€to€do€completeÐ †Ö Ðjustice,€we€remanded€the€case€to€the€trial€court€to€calculate€the€fatherððs€back€child€support€using€theÐ xÈ Ðchild€support€guidelines,€with€specific€instructions€that€the€parties€should€be€permitted€to€presentÐ j º Ðevidence€concerning€the€fatherððs€earnings€for€the€relevant€years.€€ð ðBased€on€this€evidence,€the€.€.€.Ð \ ¬ Ðcourt€should€then€determine€Mr.€Kaatrudeððs€back€child€support€obligation€for€each€year€based€on€theÐ N ž Ðguideline€percentage€applicable€to€that€particular€year.ðð€€òòIdóó.€at€250;€òòsee€alsoóó,€òòState€Depððt€of€HumanÐ @  ÐServs.€v.€Springsóó,€976€S.W.2d€654€(Tenn.€Ct.€App.€1997)€(Ô_ÔaffirmanceÔ_Ô€of€trial€courtððs€award€of€backÐ 2 ‚  Ðchild€support€in€a€paternity€action,€calculated€by€applying€the€guidelines€instructions€to€the€fatherððsÐ $t  Ðgross€monthly€income€during€the€years€from€the€childððs€birth€until€his€majority).Ô#†X+¬XXX+¬~#ÔÐ f  ÐÌà  àThe€record€herein€does€not€provide€sufficient€evidence€for€us€to€determine€the€extent,€if€any,Ð úJ  Ðof€Motherððs€obligation€for€back€child€support.€€Accordingly,€we€remand€this€issue€to€the€trial€courtÐ ì<  Ðfor€appropriate€proceedings€and€a€determination.Ð Þ. ÐÌà@ll)ìàIV.ˆÐ  ÐÌà  àFor€the€reasons€stated€herein,€the€order€of€the€trial€court€is€reversed.€€This€cause€is€remandedÐ ¦ö Ðto€the€trial€court€for€determination€of€the€custody€arrangement€which€will€serve€the€best€interest€ofÐ ˜è Ðthe€children.€€In€addition,€the€court€shall€determine€whether€Father€is€entitled€to€an€award€of€pastÐ ŠÚ Ðchild€support€and€set€the€amount€of€such€support€if€any€is€due.€€Costs€of€this€appeal€are€taxed€toÐ |Ì ÐMother€for€which€execution€may€issue€if€necessary.€€Ð n¾ ÐÌÌÌà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àà  à___________________________________€Ð 6† Ðà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àà  àPATRICIA€J.€COTTRELL,€JUDGEÐ (x Ð