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FVP)d>u`z`Ӳ\yGPe[Bac>ᜌӤoKl#D|_%`դ+{#YQS1jl:k NׂQ-BrO%f kmA gv8Wn34\vT0~}rX>jw*Klrjo(:45OQǟ'PPjJO1F/kɱe4^QrP8.ܕQ]2ihhC#$=?(w1lקT aLQH2D e>Ahq_krd"z_hq.^҅~)R $ >̹A56vEnT%;Q JތYq n6ΪZb#\ %% U N+ 0y U(N ^ O w[ z_  4   m   s9NU>EQnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn 0Db 0     B 0 D5 D- 0K ASf 0 0D# Ag\\IB01S01\CLERK1NAS,,,,0(I Z6Times New Roman Regular(`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman RegularL;1  C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wptEb0:i+003|xULevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5  Rm$      1  Ԁ  _OralargumentwasheardinthiscaseonJune2,2004,inCookeville,PutnamCounty,Tennessee,aspartof  thisCourts_S.C.A.L.E.S._Ԁ( S upreme C ourt A dvancing L egal E ducationfor S tudents)project.\  `&Times New Roman { Rm$      2  Ԁ  _Whileneitherpartychallengesthecustodyarrangement,itisimportanttonotethatrarelyiscompletelyequal  custodyappropriate.Ԁ##Thathavingbeensaid,equalcustodyinthiscaseislessproblematicduetothefactthattheparents t livenextdoortoeachother,thusprovidingmorestabilityforthechildrenthanwouldnormallybeavailableinother 8 equalcustodysituations. G Rm$      3  Ԁ  _Whilethesecasesdealwithstatutesthatwerefoundtobeunconstitutionalinsteadofsimplyinapplicable,  theydostandforthepropositionthatwhenastatutecannotbeappliedtoacertainfactualsituation,thelawpriortothe t enactmentofthatstatuteshouldbeutilized.InreSwanson,2S.W.3dat189;Leech,582S.W.2dat740##.(#$  0  - -(|I2m$ !.8]dd8         0  Ԁ d(|3$ !.8]dd8     VVVV)!dxdx)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3$ !.8]dd8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8]dd8     _   ]8XXdd8  @ J]INTHESUPREMECOURTOFTENNESSEE  @kk$ATNASHVILLE &   HEARDATCOOKEVILLE_ +#  1      _#]J# L   June2,2004Session "r XX]#]XX# _SYNTHIA_ԀM.HOPKINSv.VICTORL.HOPKINS XX]  p #]XXE#XX] AppealbyPermissionfromtheCourtofAppeals  p Ѐ#]XX#XX]ChanceryCourtforMontgomeryCounty  \ @@No.2001010072CarolCatalano,Chancellor  H  @@*AV) ` dE<` A   No.M200202233SCR11CV#]XX&#XX]ԀFiledSeptember27,_2004_   AV) ` dE<` A   #]XX|#XX]=]dd=  WilliamM.Barker,J.,dissenting. v #]XXi#XX]XXXX  Withitsdecisiontoday,themajorityhasattemptedtofitaroundpegintoasquarehole,and N asonewouldexpect,itdoesnotfit.#XXXXR# :   Thesoleissueinthiscaseiswhethertheawardofchildsupportof$800permonthtobepaid b bythefatherisappropriate.NeitherpartyhasappealedtheCourtofAppealscustodydetermination. N Whilenotspecificallyatissue,abriefreviewofthecustodysituationishelpful. :   Thetrialcourtgrantedprimarycustodyofthepartiesthreechildrentothefather,whowould  havecustodyapproximately230daysperyear,andthemotherwouldhavecustodytheremaining  135daysperyear.Themotherwasorderedtomakechildsupportpaymentstothefatherinthe  amountof$681.37permonth.TheCourtofAppealsreversedthetrialcourtscustodydetermination   andadoptedtheparentingplanthathadbeenproposedbythefather.Pursuanttothatplan,both r!  parentswouldshareequalcustody,alternatingcustodyonaweeklybasis. +#  2      ׀ ^"!     XXXX  TheparentingplanadoptedbytheCourtofAppealsalsoprovidedthatthefatherwouldpay 6$# childsupportintheamountof$800permonthtothemother.TheCourtofAppealsfoundthatthis "%r $ _approximatelyequaledtheamountofsupportthefatherwouldoweundertheguidelinesminusthe  amountthemotherwouldoweundertheguidelines.    TheChildSupportGuidelineswere designedtoapplytosituationswherechildrenareliving t primarilywithoneparentbutstayovernightwiththeotherparentatleastasoftenaseveryother ` weekendfromFridaytoSunday,twoweeksinthesummerandtwoweeksduringholidays L  throughouttheyear.Tenn.Comp.R.&Regs.1224.02(6).Theguidelinesconsider actual 8  physicalcustodyofthechild(ren),regardlessofwhethercustodyisawardedtooneparentand $ t visitationtotheotherorsuchanarrangementisorderedtobejointcustodyorsplitcustody.Id.  ` #XXXX #XXXX  Whiletheguidelinesdoallowfordownwarddeviationofsupportwherecustodyisdivided  8  moreequallybetweentheparents,Tenn.Comp.R.&Regs.1224.02(6),supportisstillgranted $  totheparentwithwhomthechild(ren)liveprimarily,Tenn.Comp.R.&Regs.1224.03.Inother   words,itisalwayspresumedintheguidelinesthatoneparentwillhavemorethan50%ofthe   custodyofthechild(ren).Nowhereintheguidelinesistheredirectionforprovidingsupportwhere   custodyisdividedexactlyequally.#XXXX#     ThemajorityofthisCourthasapprovedtheCourtofAppealsdecisiontoawardequal \ custodytotheparents,butalsorecognizesthatundertheguidelines,supportcanonlybegrantedto H the primaryresidentialparent.Tenn.Comp.R.&Regs.12404.03(1),(2).The primary 4 residentialparentis,bedefinition,theparentwithwhomthechild(ren)residemorethan50%of  p thetime.Tenn.CodeAnn.366402(4)(2003Supp.).Therefore,themajorityisremandingthe  \ casetothetrialcourttonamea primaryresidentialparentforthesolepurposeofawardingchild H supporttooneoftheparents.Thisisacontrivedresultthatstandsthedefinitionof primary 4 residentialparentonitsproverbialear.     Becausethechildsupportguidelinesdonotcoverthissituationinwhichtheparentsare  sharingequalcustodyofthechildren,abettersolutionwouldbeforthecourttolooktothelawthat  wasinexistencepriortotheenactmentoftheguidelines.Cf.InreSwanson,2S.W.3d180,189  (Tenn.1999)(holdingthatwherepartofthestatuterelatingtotheabandonmentofachildwasfound l unconstitutional,XXXXthedefinitionsthatwereineffectunderthepriorlawwouldremainineffect#XXXXI#until X  thelegislatureamendsthestatute);XXXXLeechv.Am.BooksellersAssnInc.,582S.W.2d738,740 D! (Tenn.1979)#XXXX#Ԁ(XXXXholdingthatpriorlawisinfullforceandeffectwhenanactisheldunconstitutional#XXXX#). +#  3       0"    Priortotheadoptionofthechildsupportguidelines,thetrialcourtwasXXXXvestedwithwide $X" discretioninmattersrelatingtochildcustodyandsupport.#XXXX#ԀCampanaliv.Campanali,695S.W.2d $D # 193(Tenn.Ct.App.1985).Theobligationtoprovidesupportwasfoundtobe determinableonly %0!$  byequitableprinciplesandrules,withdueregardtotheconditionandmeansofeach[parent]. &"% Brooksv.Brooks,61S.W.2d654,654(Tenn.1933);Lescherv.Lescher,679S.W.2d463,465  (Tenn.Ct.App.1984).     Priortotheguidelines,TennesseeCodeAnnotatedsection365101(e)(1988)setforththe t factorstobeconsideredbythetrialcourtwhendeterminingthenecessityandamountofchild ` support: L  8  (1)Theage,physical,mentalandemotionalconditionofeachchild; $ t (2)Theeducationalneedsofeachchildandtheeducationaladvantageseachchild  ` hadavailableatthetimethecircumstancesrequiringacourtorderforhisorher  L  supportarose;  8  (3)Theearningcapacity,obligationsandneeds,andfinancialresourcesofeachparent; $  (4)Thecontributions,monetaryandnonmonetary,ofeachpartytothewellbeingof   thechildren;   (5)Thefinancialresourcesofeachchild;   (6)Thestandardoflivingeachchildhasenjoyedduringthemarriage;and   (7)Suchotherfactorsasarenecessarytoconsidertheequitiesfortheparentsand p children.\   Tenn.CodeAnn.366101(e)(1988).XXXXFromamongthesefactors,theneedofthechild(ren)and 4 theparentsabilitytopayshouldreceivetheforemostconsideration#XXXX`$#XXXX.Allisonv.Allison,638S.W.2d  p 394,396(Tenn.Ct.App.1982).#XXXX7%#Ԁ  \   Inapprovingofthechildsupportof$800proposedintheparentingplan,theCourtof 4 Appealsconsideredtheneedsofthechildrenandtheresourcesofeachparent,concludingthatthe   $800would equalizetheresourcesavailabletothechildren,regardlessofwhichparenttheyare   with.TheCourtalsonotedthat ifweweretosubtractthepresumptivelycorrectamountofsupport  [themother]wouldbeobligatedtopayunderthechildsupportguidelinesfromtheamount[the  father]wouldhavetopayunderthesameguidelines,theresultwouldbeveryclosetotheamount  [thefather]offered.Whiletheguidelinesdonotapplytothissituation,anddonotallowforthe l considerationoftheobligeesincomeandresources,thissimplydemonstratesthattheCourtof X  Appealswasattemptingtofashionanequitablechildsupportawardforthisparticularsetof D! circumstances. 0"    Becausethechildsupportguidelinesdonotcoverthissituationinwhichcustodyisdivided $X" equallybetweentheparents,thecourtshouldreverttopreguidelinesequitableprinciplesinsetting $D # childsupport.TheCourtofAppealsdecisionappearstohavedonejustthat,andtherefore,Iwould %0!$ affirmboththecustodyandchildsupportdeterminationsmadebythatCourt. &"% XXXX   `     h   _____________________________ )$(    `     h   WILLIAMM.BARKER,JUSTICE#XXXX ,##]XX2#  |*%)