Berlin v. Berlin

The defendant, father of two children, is appealing a custody award of those children to the plaintiff mother in a divorce action. He seeks joint custody, and argues for that result or a remand for review of the custody issue both on principle and on the basis of claimed shortcomings in the trial court hearing.

He contends that the trial court abused its discretion by awarding custody without making findings concerning whether joint custody would be in the interest of the children,, and without appointing counsel to represent the interests of the children under 15 V.S.A. § 594. The principal…