Hasty v. Hasty

In 1982, Lucinda Hasty (plaintiff) and George Hasty (defendant) divorced. George was ordered to pay $150 per month in child support for each of their two children. George then remarried and had another child. George and his second wife later divorced. George was ordered to pay $166 per month in child support for the child born from his second marriage. George remarried a third time and had a fourth child. Once George’s first child reached the age of majority, Lucinda petitioned for a modification to George’s obligation for their second child. In response, George argued that a modification was not warranted and requested that, in applying Wyoming’s child-support guidelines, the district court consider that he was supporting two other minor children. The district court commissioner rejected George’s argument. The commissioner applied the guidelines as if George were obligated to support only one child. The commissioner recommended that George’s obligation to the child be increased to $745 per month, which was 26 percent of his monthly income. George argued that the increased modification in the support for his child with Lucinda resulted in his other children receiving second-class status. The district court reviewed the recommendation and agreed with the commissioner that George’s other two children were not to be considered in applying the guidelines. The district court explained that it was statutorily required to strictly apply the guidelines and it would be legally impermissible to consider the other two children in the guideline’s application. George appealed.