George F. Wood v. Frances M. Wood

Summary

The court held that child-support responsibility is shared by both parents according to their respective abilities, so the lower court erred by treating the mother's improved finances as legally irrelevant. It upheld the prospective reduction in support but ruled that Maine law generally permits only prospective modification of accrued support obligations, subject to limited exceptions. The case was remanded to establish an effective date no earlier than the filing of the modification motion and to recalculate arrearages; the separate appeal concerning counsel fees was dismissed as untimely.