Kibby vs. Kibby

This appeal presents a dispute of custody, visitation, and attorney fees. The parties are parents of one child, Ian Kibby, who is the subject of this dispute. The father was awarded primary custody when the parties divorced in May of 1996. The mother filed a Petition for Contempt and Modification seeking primary residential placement of Ian and later requested that the court refer this matter to mediation. The father filed a counter-petition requesting a change in the mother's visitation privileges and attorney's fees. The trial court dismissed the mother's petition but granted the father's petition reducing the mother's visitation rights. The court also refused to refer this matter to mediation and did not award attorney fees to the father. The mother now appeals the court's dismissal of her petition, failure to refer the matter to mediation, and change in visitation; the father also appeals the failure of the trial court to award attorney fees to him. We agree with the trial court on all issues and affirm its ruling. We also award attorney's fees necessitated by this appeal to the father and remand to the trial court for a determination of this amount.