Irwin v. Shelby

Appellant-father Garrett Irwin appealed a Family Court order granting appellee-mother Jenny Shelby sole custody and primary residential placement of their two children. Father argued: (1) the Family Court abused its discretion by siding with the mother’s treating psychologist instead of relying on the expert requested by the father; and (2) the Family Court’s order granting sole custody and primary placement to the mother was against the weight of the evidence and an abuse of discretion. According to Father, the court drew all inferences in Mother’s favor, minimized her mental health and substance abuse issues while giving undue weight to Father’s history of drug use, ignored the mother’s role in their physical altercations, and was generally biased against him. Furthermore, Father expressed concern the Family Court judge was biased in favor of Mother. Although it might have weighed the evidence differently and come to a different conclusion, the Delaware Supreme Court found the Family Court’s factual determinations were adequately supported by the record, thus affirming its judgment. View "Irwin v. Shelby" on Justia Law