Fisher v. Hasenjager

116 Ohio St. 3d 53 (Ohio 2007) · Supreme Court of Ohio · October 25, 2007

Summary

The Ohio Supreme Court held that modifying the designation of a child's residential parent and legal custodian in a shared-parenting decree requires a finding of a change in circumstances and a determination that the modification is in the child's best interest under Ohio Revised Code section 3109.04(E)(1)(a). The court rejected applying the more lenient best-interest-only standard for modifying the terms of a shared-parenting plan under section 3109.04(E)(2)(b), reversed the judgment, and remanded the case.

Holdings

  1. A modification of the designation of the residential parent and legal custodian is a modification of parental rights and responsibilities in the prior decree, not merely a modification of a term of the shared-parenting plan.
  2. A modification of the designation of residential parent and legal custodian requires a determination that a change in circumstances has occurred and a finding that the modification is in the best interest of the child, pursuant to R.C. 3109.04(E)(1)(a).

Questions Presented

  1. Whether changing the designation of a child's residential parent and legal custodian under a court-approved shared-parenting decree is a modification of parental rights and responsibilities governed by R.C. 3109.04(E)(1)(a), or merely a modification of the terms of a shared-parenting plan governed by R.C. 3109.04(E)(2)(b).
  2. Whether such a change may be ordered solely upon a finding that the modification is in the child's best interest, without a finding that a change in circumstances has occurred.

Disposition

reversed_and_remanded

Cases Cited (11)

  • Schoettle v. Bering (Apr. 22, 1996), Brown App. No. CA9507-011, 1996 WL 189027(cited)
  • Fisher v. Campbell (June 23, 1997), Butler App. No. CA96-11-248, 1997 WL 349013(cited)
  • Fisher v. Hasenjager, 168 Ohio App.3d 321, 2006-Ohio-4190, 859 N.E.2d 1022(reversed)
  • State ex rel. Watkins v. Eighth Dist. Court of Appeals, 82 Ohio St.3d 532, 535, 696 N.E.2d 1079 (1998)(cited)
  • Braatz v. Braatz, 85 Ohio St.3d 40, 43-44, 706 N.E.2d 1218 (1999)(cited)
  • In re Gibson, 61 Ohio St.3d 168, 171, 573 N.E.2d 1074 (1991)(cited)
  • State v. Moaning, 76 Ohio St.3d 126, 128, 666 N.E.2d 1115 (1996)(cited)
  • Wooster Republican Printing Co. v. Wooster, 56 Ohio St.2d 126, 132, 10 O.O.3d 312, 383 N.E.2d 124 (1978)(cited)
  • Davis v. Flickinger, 77 Ohio St.3d 415, 418, 674 N.E.2d 1159 (1997)(cited)
  • Wyss v. Wyss, 3 Ohio App.3d 412, 416, 3 OBR 479, 445 N.E.2d 1153 (1982)(cited)

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