Pace v. Pace

In Pace v. Pace, 22 P.3d 861, P9 (Wyo. 2001), the Court enunciated one specific exception to the general rule in split custody situations. The Court defined the concept of "splitting custody" to mean those instances where siblings are separated from one another through custody awards to different parents. "As future guidance to the trial courts, we hold that, when the exercise of its discretion in custody matters involves splitting custody of children between parents or other unconventional custody approaches, the trial court must provide an explanation of its reasoning and place its findings on the record. A reasoned explanation and an expression of findings of a trial court's conclusion will assure this court that a comprehensive evaluation of all relevant factors occurred prior to the award of custody."