Martha Hampton Morrison v. James Rollins

Martha Hampton Morrison and James Rollins Kirkland were divorced in December 1980. Kirkland filed a petition to modify in May 1989, requesting, among other things, a change in child support. After a hearing, the trial court ordered that the child support payments be fixed at $300.00 per month until January 1991; then the payments would increase to $350.00 per month for 1991-92. The trial court further ordered a $50.00 per month increase in child support for the years 1993-94; then in January 1995, the payments would escalate to $450 per month. From this modification of child support, Morrison appeals. Initially, Morrison asserts that the trial court erred in ordering escalated child support payments. She contends that the trial court's determination was based on evidence not before it and that the trial court failed to limit the escalated payments on specific contingencies other than time.