# Pharoah v. Lapes

> Supreme Court of Pennsylvania · March 1, 1990 · 391 Pa. Super. 585

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/cases/9700701

## Case

- **Full name:** Nancy PHAROAH, Individually and as Guardian for Anthony Lapes, a Minor v. George A. LAPES, Appellant (Two Cases)
- **Court:** Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
- **Decided:** March 1, 1990
- **Citations:** 391 Pa. Super. 585; 571 A.2d 1070; 1990 Pa. Super. LEXIS 398
- **Precedential status:** Published
- **Opinion:** Concurrence by Johnson
- **Judges:** Cirillo, Beck, Johnson
- **Cited by:** 12 later opinions in the Frix Law Library

## Citator (automated)

- No negative treatment found by the automated citator. That is not the same as a confirmation that the case is good law; read the citing cases.
- Full citator and citing cases: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/cases/9700701

## Opinion text

JOHNSON, Judge,
concurring:
I agree with my colleague, Judge Beck, that the Honorable Sheryl Ann Dorney has not committed any abuse of discretion in fashioning an equitable college support order. Because our scope of review is, quite properly, a narrow one, I am reluctant to join Judge Beck’s conclusion that the record before us establishes that attendance at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) by Anthony Lapes will result in a “superior educational experience” than if he were to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).
As a reviewing court, we need not independently conclude that Anthony is “deserving” of what he believes to be “the best education possible” in order to affirm the trial court. Where we can confirm that the support award is within the financial means of the parent, which clearly is the case here, and where the trial judge has reasonably applied the principles regarding a parent’s obligation for support, our *596 role is complete once we have ruled out an abuse of discretion.
Judge Dorney has carefully applied the law to the facts in this case. I, therefore, agree that the order of August 5, 1988 must be affirmed.

---

Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/cases/9700701. Public record. Not legal advice.
