Greiner v. Keller

Mother has legal and physical custody of the child. Father was ordered to pay one-half of reasonable childcare costs. Mother sought an order, directing Father to pay one-half of childcare costs incurred while she attended a paralegal program. She was employed in a law office as a receptionist/assistant working 28 hours per week. Mother explained that since 2011, when she was laid off from a job due to government budget cuts, she had been unable to secure stable employment. She supplemented her income with public assistance. She anticipated that paralegal certification would provide the skills to secure permanent employment and become fully self-supporting without public assistance. Father argued that Mother was able to secure employment with her existing job skills and was not required by her employer to increase her skills, sp her decision to pursue paralegal studies was a personal choice unrelated to her “employment or to reasonably necessary education or training for employment skills.” The court denied Mother’s request. The court of appeal concluded that section 4062 applies “to a situation where a party is employed with marketable skills and is electing to improve their skills through education.” The statute’s plain language does not restrict “employment” or “employment skills” to current employment, or to general principles governing child support awards. View "Greiner v. Keller" on Justia Law