Virginia L. Workman

In this family law trial, the court determined issues of decision-making, parenting time, child and spousal support, and equalization following a high-conflict separation.

The mother was awarded sole decision-making authority for most issues due to poor communication between the parents, with joint decision-making reserved for the child's psychological needs.

The father was granted a parenting schedule of 10 overnights per 28-day cycle.

The mother was awarded short-term, needs-based spousal support and retroactive child support.

For equalization, funds advanced by the mother's parents were deemed a loan rather than a gift, and the father was ordered to reimburse the mother for carrying costs of the matrimonial home during his exclusive possession.

Following an 11-day family law trial, the successful applicant sought costs on a full recovery basis.

The self-represented respondent failed to provide costs submissions.

The court found the respondent's conduct unreasonable, as he insisted on unsupported positions and a trial despite the applicant's reasonable offer to settle.

The court awarded the applicant $54,000 in costs, with one-third enforceable as support.

Following an earlier endorsement determining entitlement regarding retroactive child support and section 7 expenses, the court was asked to resolve competing calculations and determine costs.

The dispute concerned retroactive child support for one child while ongoing support had previously been paid for two children, creating difficulty in crediting payments already made.

The court declined to apply the calculation approaches discussed in Field v. Field and instead adopted a modified method that accounted for ongoing support for one child while adjusting retroactive support for the other.

After accounting for payments and section 7 expenses, the court found a small balance owing from the applicant to the respondent but offset that amount with a minimal costs award to the applicant.