Opinion
No. 3989
Decided February 6, 1951
The power of the Trial Court (R. L., c. 339, s. 15) to award the custody of a minor child in divorce proceedings rests in the sound discretion of the Presiding Justice, and such an award if supported by the evidence will not be set aside on appeal. While the Trial Court in determining the question of custody of a minor child may seek, and consider in addition to other evidence, a report and recommendation from a probation officer, the Court is not bound by such report and recommendation. Where the welfare of the child demands it the Trial Court may award the child to the parent who is the guilty party as far as the merits of the divorce are concerned and even though he may be in default in compliance with a support decree in the divorce action.
MOTION by Harriet to bring forward and to modify an order for custody and support of a minor child of the parties. At the September Term, 1945 for said county, a divorce was decreed to Harriet, the libelant. The custody of their minor son Calvin, now eleven, was committed to Tillie Bowles, Harriet's mother, and George was ordered to contribute toward his support. Mrs. Bowles is now physically unable to continue to care for the child.
At the conclusion of the hearing on the above motion, the matter was referred by the Court (Wescott, J.) to the Probation Department for investigation and a report thereon. A report was filed with a recommendation that the custody of Calvin be awarded to the libelant and that the libelee pay $30 per month toward his support. Neither party requested a hearing on this report.
Subsequently the Court made this order on the motion: "Custody and education of the minor child, Calvin, is awarded to the father, George L. Clark. Harriet S. (Clark) Britt shall be entitled to see the boy, at reasonable times and places, and beginning July 1, 1951, to have him with her during the month of July of each year."
The libelant moved that the above order be set aside as being against the law and the evidence, the weight of the evidence, because the Court fell into a plain mistake, because two maxims of equity have been violated, viz: (a) he who seeks equity must do equity, (b) clean hands. Her exception to the denial of this motion was reserved and transferred.
Other facts appear in the opinion.
J. Francis Roche (by brief and orally), for the libelant.
Alvin A. Lucier, John P. Flavin (of Massachusetts) and Normand R. Pelletier (Mr. Pelletier orally), for the libelee.
The power to award the custody of a minor child in a divorce proceeding granted the Trial Court by statute (R. L., c. 339, s. 15; Trow v. Trow, 95 N.H. 529) rests in the sound discretion of the Presiding Justice. Butler v. Butler, 83 N.H. 413, 416; Schouler, Divorce Manual, 441. If there is evidence to support an award thus made by the Trial Court it will not be set aside on appeal, Kennard v. Kennard, 81 N.H. 509; Butler v. Butler, supra; Payette v. Payette, 85 N.H. 297; Ballou v. Ballou, 95 N.H. 105, 106.
The paramount and controlling consideration upon which the Court's award of custody should be based is the welfare of the children involved, what "shall be most conducive to their benefit. . . . "R. L., c. 339, s. 15; Butler v. Butler, supra, 414; Sheehy v. Sheehy, 88 N.H. 223, 225; Grover v. Grover, 54 A.2d 637 (1947); Cullotta v. Cullotta, 66 A.2d 919 (1949). In arriving at that decision, the Court, in addition to the testimony of the witnesses, evaluated by him as a result of his observation of them, may seek and consider a report on the matter by a probation officer with recommendations. R. L., c. 379, s. 8. However this report with its recommendations is not binding on the Court. The decision is his to make on all the evidence before him.
The welfare of the child being the issue, the Court may, if the child's welfare demands it, award his custody to the parent who is the guilty party as far as the merits of the divorce are concerned (Keezer, Marriage Divorce (3d ed.) 757; Cf. Salta v. Salta, 80 N.H. 218), even if he may also be in default in complying with an order of the Court for support in the divorce action. The child is not chargeable with the derelictions of his parents. White v. White, 77 N.H. 26, 30; Sheehy v. Sheehy, supra; Cf. Webster v. Webster, 95 N.H. 416.
Calvin is a nervous child who had to be treated by a psychiatrist. On the doctor's advice he was sent to a private school because he got in trouble with other children when he attended public school. The evidence discloses that the mother, motivated only by her solicitude for the child, had a tendency to let him have his own way. The father on the other hand was more strict. The Court could properly decide in his discretion that the welfare of this child demanded that he be under the supervision and guidance of the steadier hand of his father.
Exception overruled.
All concurred.