Marriage of Wulf CA4/3

FACTS

Michele and Gerald were married in March 1996, and were granted a status-only divorce in December 2011. They have one child, born in 1999. Child custody orders were entered in September 2011 – apparently by stipulation, although the record is not entirely clear on this point. The parties were unable to resolve their disputes over financial matters; however, and the case proceeded to trial on those issues in October 2012. In January 2013, the court held a hearing to announce its oral tentative ruling on the financial disputes addressed in the trial. The court stated that “this trial on reserved issues did not involve child custody matters. And in that regard I have to . . . share with the parties that that is a good thing. It’s difficult enough to try cases on property and financial matters, but trying them on child custody matters can be extremely difficult. So obviously, the parties exercised your leadership and your parenting instincts to arrive at your understandings before you came here on those issues.” (Italics added.) The court then proceeded to give its oral statement of decision on the financial issues, explaining that if nothing else were said or done, that…