WP

The father applied for sole custody of the parties' child, while the mother cross-applied for sole custody and child support.

The court found the father's evidence unreliable, noting his history of conflict, inappropriate parenting choices, and deliberate underemployment.

The court rejected the Office of the Children's Lawyer's recommendation to limit the mother's access, finding it unsupported by the evidence and detrimental to the child's relationship with his half-sister.

The mother was awarded sole custody, and the father was ordered to pay child support based on an imputed income of $52,000 per year, along with retroactive arrears.

The applicant father sought sole custody of a child born in April 2005, initially seeking joint custody with status quo access but changing his position at trial.

The respondent mother sought sole custody and child support.

The court awarded sole custody to the mother, finding that the father's evidence was unreliable and evasive, with significant concerns about his parenting choices including alcohol use, exposure to violent video games, allowing the child to handle firearms, and inadequate supervision.

The mother, while having some issues with conflict management, demonstrated a stronger commitment to the child's welfare and maintained a stable primary caregiving relationship.

The court also imputed income to the father for child support purposes based on deliberate underemployment and ordered arrears and ongoing support.