Jessica K. Lagatta
v.
Brandon B. Kettler
Appellee
Jessica K. Lagatta
Appellant
Brandon B. Kettler
Attorney for the Appellee
Anjela A. Shutts and Jennifer B. Chavez-Rivera
Attorney for the Appellant
Tammy Westhoff Gentry and Natalie Hedberg
Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals Opinion
Opinion Number:
Date Published:
Summary
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Dallas County, Thomas P. Murphy, Judge. AFFIRMED AS MODIFIED. Heard by Mullins, P.J., and Schumacher and Ahlers, JJ. Opinion by Ahlers, J. (16 pages)
Brandon Kettler appeals from the ruling on his petition to modify provisions of the decree dissolving his marriage to Jessica Kettler. Brandon argues: (1) his visitation with the parties’ children should increase; (2) he should remain responsible for the children’s health insurance; (3) his obligations to undergo drug screens and to provide drug test results and mental-health reports to Jessica should terminate after a specified time; and (4) Jessica should not be allowed to suspend his visitation without seeking court approval. Both parties request appellate attorney fees. OPINION HOLDS: We modify the ruling to suspend Brandon’s parenting time for two months following a positive drug test. Due to ongoing concerns about Brandon’s mental health and substance abuse, we otherwise affirm the modification ruling and deny the requests for appellate attorney fees.
