Jermall Estwick

The respondent brought a motion to set aside a default judgment that granted the applicant sole decision-making responsibility, primary parenting time, and child support.

The respondent had been served with the application but failed to file an answer despite multiple extensions and warnings.

Applying the factors from Zia v. Ahmad, the court found that while the respondent moved promptly after the order was made, he did not provide an adequate explanation for his failure to participate and did not come to the court with clean hands, having failed to pay child support arrears.

The motion to set aside the default judgment was dismissed.

The respondent mother brought a motion for temporary sole custody, ongoing and retroactive child support, and an order dispensing with the father's consent for passports.

The father sought joint custody and claimed undue hardship to pay less than Table support.

The court granted the mother temporary sole custody, noting the parties' inability to communicate precluded joint custody.

The court ordered the father to pay retroactive and ongoing Table support, and directed that 24 months of future support be prepaid from his share of the matrimonial home sale proceeds as security.