Jean Kelly Fisher Wallace v. Richard Edward Wallace

This is a post-divorce custody proceeding. Jean Kelly Fisher Wallace (“mother”) was
granted a divorce in the Chancery Court of Shelby County from Richard Edward Wallace
(“father”) in May, 1992. Mother was awarded custody of the parties’ minor child, Caroline. In
April, 1995, father filed a petition to change legal custody from mother to father. Following a
bench trial, the court denied the relief sought by father and permitted custody to remain with
mother. The court delayed its decision for six months, principally to allow mother the
opportunity to make changes in two aspects of her life: (1) the neighborhood in which she and
the minor child had been living for slightly over a year and (2) her ongoing association and
relationship with her boyfriend. The trial court felt both aspects were detrimental to the welfare
of the parties’ child.