Rice v. Hatfield

VANCE, Judge.

This is an appeal in a child custody action between the natural father and a maternal uncle. The mother, who was divorced from the appellant father, was killed in an auto accident. The mother had previously been awarded custody of the children. Shortly after the mother’s death, the appellant moved for custody of his children and the appellee, the children’s uncle, intervened requesting he be given custody. The trial court awarded custody to the uncle because the father had failed to pay child support and rarely visited the children and found:

It would do these children great…