ESTELL v ESTELL

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NO. 12968 I N THE SUPREME C U T OF THE STATE OF MONTANA OR 1975 MERLE LLOYD ESTELL, P l a i n t i f f and A p p e l l a n t , -vs - SHIRLEY ESTELL , Defendant and Respondent. D i s t r i c t Court of t h e Twelfth J u d i c i a l D i s t r i c t , Honorable B. W. Thomas, Judge p r e s i d i n g . Appeal from: Counsel of Record : For Appellant : Morrison, E t t i e n and Barron, Havre, Montana Robert Do Morrison argued, Havre, Montana For Respondent: George Rouff argued, Havre, Montana Submitted: June 1 2 , 1975 Decided : .)U!q Filed : ]I->\? 'J g;:, 2 W975 M r . J u s t i c e Frank I. Haswell d e l i v e r e d t h e Opinion o f t h e Court. T h i s i s an a p p e a l from an o r d e r of t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t , H i l l County, modifying a d i v o r c e d e c r e e by changing custody of two minor c h i l d r e n from t h e i r p a t e r n a l grandmother t o t h e i r mother. The o r i g i n a l d e c r e e d a t e d J u l y 1, 1974, placed t h e c h i l d r e n w i t h t h e grandmother, s t a t i n g : "* * * n e i t h e r p l a i n t i f f o r defendant a t t h i s time a r e a b l e t o provide t h e proper c a r e and a t t e n t i o n r e q u i r e d by s a i d c h i l d r e n and i t i s t o t h e b e s t i n t e r e s t of s a i d c h i l d r e n t h a t t h e y b e awarded t o t h e c a r e and custody and c o n t r o l of p l a i n t i f f [ t h e i r f a t h e r ] under t h e s u p e r v i s i o n and c a r e o f t h e i r grandmother, Mildred Estell, who r e s i d e s i n Havre, H i l l County, Montana; t h a t t h e s a i d Mildred E s t e l l i s a f i t and proper person t o provide t h e proper c a r e and custody of s a i d minor c h i l d r e n u n t i l such t i m e a s e i t h e r t h e p l a i n t i f f o r t h e defendant can g i v e t h e c h i l d r e n a home and s u p e r v i s i o n . I1 [Bracketed m a t e r i a l s u p p l i e d . ] The two c h i l d r e n , aged seven and e i g h t y e a r s a t t h e time of t h e m o d i f i c a t i o n o r d e r , have been i n t h e a c t u a l custody of t h e i r grandmother s i n c e a t l e a s t Elarch 1973. The mother's p e t i t i o n f o r m o d i f i c a t i o n of t h e d i v o r c e d e c r e e a l l e g e d changed c o n d i t i o n s and circumstances w a r r a n t i n g t r a n s f e r of custody t o h e r . The d i s t r i c t c o u r t , followings h e a r i n g a t which b o t h t h e f a t h e r and mother p r e s e n t e d evidence, g r a n t e d t h e modification. The c o u r t found t h e c o n d i t i o n of t h e mother had changed s o t h a t s h e was then a b l e t o provide an adequate home f o r t h e c h i l d r e n and t h a t i t was i n t h e b e s t i n t e r e s t of t h e c h i l d r e n t o p l a c e them i n t h a t home. The f a t h e r a p p e a l s from t h e a r d e r of m o d i f i c a t i o n c l a i m i n g t h e r e has been no m a t e r i a l change i n circumstances and t h a t t h e d i s t r i c t judge abused h i s d i s c r e t i o n i n g r a n t i n g t h e mother's motion. The l e g a l c r i t e r i a f o r m o d i f i c a t i o n of a custody d e c r e e have been f r e q u e n t l y expressed by t h i s Court. v. Gilmore, t h i s Court s a i d : Mont . , 530 Recently, i n Gilmore P.2d 480, 482, 32 St.Rep. 23, 25, ** "* There must b e a change of circumstances o r c o n d i t i o n s from t h e circumstances t h a t e x i s t e d a t t h e time of t h e o r i g i n a l d e c r e e and upon which t h e d e c r e e was based under s e c t i o n 91-4515, R.C.M. 1947, which provides t h a t i n awarding t h e custody of minor c h i l d r e n t h e c o u r t i s t o be guided: "'BY what appears t o be f o r t h e b e s t i n t e r e s t s of t h e c h i l d i n r e s p e c t t o i t s temporal and i t s mental and moral w e l f a r e * * *.' fI The claimed change i n c o n d i t i o n s o r circumstances can be judged on no l e s s e r standard." Consideration of t h e evidence t o be measured a g a i n s t t h i s s t a n d a r d i s a l s o i n f l u e n c e d by w e l l - e s t a b l i s h e d rules of a p p e l l a t e review, t y p i f i e d by t h e language o f Jewett v. J e w e t t , 73 Mont. 591, 595, 237 P. 702, quoted w i t h approval i n McCullough v. McCullough, 159 Mont. 419, 424, 498 P.2d 1189: "'When a c o n t r o v e r s y a r i s e s between p a r e n t s over t h e r i g h t t o t h e custody o f c h i l d r e n , t h e d u t y of d e c i d i n g i t i s a d e l i c a t e one, which i s lodged w i t h t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t o r t h e judge t h e r e o f . The judge h e a r i n g o r a l testimony, i n such a c o n t r o v e r s y has a v e r y s u p e r i o r advantage i n determining t h e same, and h i s d e c i s i o n ought n o t t o b e d i s t u r b e d except upon a c l e a r showing of abuse of d i s c r e t i o n . 1 I t With t h e s e p r e c e p t s and s t a n d a r d s i n mind, w e t u r n t o t h e evidence contained i n t h e r e c o r d h e r e . A t t h e time o f t h e d i v o r c e h e a r i n g , S h i r l e y E s t e l l a d m i t t e d l y was s u f f e r i n g from a c o n d i t i o n c h a r a c t e r i z e d a s manic-depressive. Treatment up t o t h a t time c o n s i s t e d p r i m a r i l y of heavy u s e o f drugs and medications. Under t h e i n f l u e n c e of h e r a f f l i c t i o n and t h e s e d r u g s , she was n o t c a p a b l e of providing adequate c a r e f o r t h e c h i l d r e n , and t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t s o found. The c o u r t was e q u a l l y u n w i l l i n g t o p l a c e t h e c h i l d r e n w i t h t h e f a t h e r , but chose t o p l a c e them t e m p o r a r i l y w i t h t h e p a t e r n a l grandmother i n Havre, Montana. A t t h e h e a r i n g on t h e petition f o r m o d i f i c a t i o n o f t h e d i v o r c e d e c r e e , t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t judge had ample o p p o r t u n i t y t o observe t h e demeanor and c a p a c i t i e s of S h i r l e y E s t e l l a s s h e testified. Based. on t h o s e o b s e r v a t i o n s , t h e testimony o f t h e o t h e r w i t n e s s e s , and t h e d e p o s i t i o n o f a p s y c h t a t r i s t who had t r e a t e d Shirley Estell for over a year and a half, the district court found that she was now able to provide proper care and attention for the children. The record supports that conclusion. Her psychiatrist indicated she had regained normal function through a regimen of supportive psychotherapy and supplemental lithium carbonate. That evidence is uncontroverted, ~ppellant'smain contention is that she is not "cured" and might suffer a relapse to her former condition. While that eventuality is not beyond the realm of possibility, it is equally apparent that her condition is being effectively controlled and the probability of relapse is not great. The district court's order included a requirement that the mother, during the ensuing year, must provide the court with progress or status reports from her psychiatrist on a quarterly basis. Our review of the entire record discloses no evidence that the district judge abused his discretion. To the contrary, it is clear that Judge Thomas acted in accord with the law and the evidence in granting custody to the mother, The order of the district court is affirmed. -- sitJustice w2eq-E Justices,

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