Anderson v. Anderson

Decision Date14 February 2012
Citation938 N.Y.S.2d 351,92 A.D.3d 779,2012 N.Y. Slip Op. 01249
PartiesIn the Matter of Elizabeth C. ANDERSON, petitioner-respondent, v. Adolph P. ANDERSON, appellant;Dutchess County Department of Social Services, nonparty-respondent.
CourtNew York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

OPINION TEXT STARTS HERE

Adolph P. Anderson, LaGrangeville, N.Y., appellant pro se.

James Fedorchak, County Attorney, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. (Thomas P. Delpizzo of counsel), for nonparty-respondent.

RUTH C. BALKIN, J.P., JOHN M. LEVENTHAL, ARIEL E. BELEN, and SHERI S. ROMAN, JJ.

In a child support proceeding pursuant to Family Court Act article 4, the father appeals from an order of the Family Court, Dutchess County (Sammarco, J.), dated March 25, 2011, which denied his objections to an order of the same court (Kaufman, S.M.), entered September 1, 2010, which, after a hearing, granted the mother's petition for an upward modification of his child support obligation set forth in a child support order dated February 5, 2008, which had been entered upon his consent.

ORDERED that the order dated March 25, 2011, is affirmed, with costs.

The parties originally executed a separation agreement that was incorporated, but not merged, into a judgment of divorce dated August 24, 2006. Upon a petition by the mother, the Family Court conducted a hearing, after which the support obligations as set forth in the separation agreement were modified, upon the consent of the parties, in an order of the Family Court dated February 5, 2008. In May 2010 the mother commenced the instant proceeding to modify the father's child support obligations as set forth in the order dated February 5, 2008.

Where a party seeks to modify a child support order entered on consent, he or she “has the burden of showing that there has been a substantial change in circumstances” ( Matter of Ceballos v. Castillo, 85 A.D.3d 1161, 1162, 926 N.Y.S.2d 142; see Matter of Jewett v. Monfoletto, 72 A.D.3d 688, 688–689, 897 N.Y.S.2d 654; Weiss v. Weiss, 294 A.D.2d 566, 567, 742 N.Y.S.2d 663). Here, in light of the testimony and documentary evidence demonstrating the increased cost of clothing, food, and heating oil, as well as the increased expenses related to the son's special education needs and the children's involvement in activities such as music lessons, karate lessons, soccer, and girl scouts, the mother demonstrated a substantial change in circumstances sufficient to warrant the modification of the father's child...

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8 cases
  • Daughtry v. Jacobs
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • November 22, 2017
    ...v. Lamar, 106 A.D.3d 1095, 1096, 966 N.Y.S.2d 190 ; Matter of Braun v. Abenanti, 103 A.D.3d 717, 719, 960 N.Y.S.2d 145 ; Matter of Anderson v. Anderson, 92 A.D.3d 779, 780, 938 N.Y.S.2d 351 ; Matter of Ceballos v. Castillo, 85 A.D.3d 1161, 1162, 926 N.Y.S.2d 142 ; Matter of Ish–Shalom v. Wi......
  • Grucci v. Villanti
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • July 10, 2013
    ...entered on consent, had the burden of showing that there had been a substantial change in circumstances ( see Matter of Anderson v. Anderson, 92 A.D.3d 779, 938 N.Y.S.2d 351;Matter of Ceballos v. Castillo, 85 A.D.3d 1161, 926 N.Y.S.2d 142). The father failed to prove a change of circumstanc......
  • Diaz v. Smatkitboriharn
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • February 21, 2018
    ...was a substantial change in circumstances which warranted a modification of the existing order of support (see Matter ofAnderson v. Anderson, 92 A.D.3d 779, 780, 938 N.Y.S.2d 351 ; Matter ofRyan v. Levine, 80 A.D.3d 767, 767, 916 N.Y.S.2d 780 ). Contrary to the father's contention, he was n......
  • Wendel v. Nelson
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • April 30, 2014
    ...a substantial change in circumstances warranting a downward modification of his child support obligation ( see Matter of Anderson v. Anderson, 92 A.D.3d 779, 938 N.Y.S.2d 351;Matter of Ceballos v. Castillo, 85 A.D.3d 1161, 926 N.Y.S.2d 142).DICKERSON, J.P., ROMAN, MILLER and LASALLE, JJ., ...
  • Request a trial to view additional results

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