Kinden vs. Kinden
May 12, 2025OUTCOME: Won on Appeal
I assembled detailed proof of Catlin’s consistent management of his child’s Type 1 diabetes (clinic logs, workplace leave records) and documented the educational stability provided by enrolling all fou ... r children in a single district (teacher affidavits, performance reports). We successfully argued that, because the parents already shared joint residential responsibility, the court needed to conduct an original best-interests determination—not apply the statutory “substantial change” modification standard. We proposed a clear, co-parenting–focused schedule—alternate weekends, mid-week overnights, extended summers—and defined medical-decision protocols to address past conflicts. On May 12, 2025, the North Dakota Supreme Court affirmed his approach, awarding primary residential responsibility to Catlin and holding that joint-to-primary disputes require a fresh best-interests inquiry.
