Case Title: Abrams v. Abrams

Citation: 262 Ga. 170, 416 S.E.2d 88

Docket Number: S92A0253

State: georgia

Court: Georgia Supreme Court

Date: 1992-04-09T00:00:00Z

Document:
262 Ga. 170 (1992) 416 S.E.2d 88 ABRAMS v. ABRAMS. S92A0253. Supreme Court of Georgia. Decided April 9, 1992. Smith, Gambrell & Russell, Alex W. Smith, David M. Brown, for appellant. Awtrey & Parker, Harry P. Hall, Jr., J. Lynn Rainey, Barton J. Bradshaw, for appellee. WELTNER, Presiding Justice. This appeal concerns the enforceability of a purported oral settlement in a divorce proceeding. 1. In Brumbelow v. Northern Propane Gas Co., 251 Ga. 674 (308 SE2d 544) (1983) we held: See also LeCroy v. Massey, 185 Ga. App. 828 (366 SE2d 215) (1988).[1] 2. Because "the existence of the agreement" is disputed, the oral agreement is not enforceable. Accordingly, the purported order of settlement must be vacated. Judgment reversed. All the Justices concur. [1] There, the Court of Appeals held: Uniform Superior Court Rule 4.12 (253 Ga. 799, 816) provides as follows: "An attorney of record has apparent authority to enter into agreements on behalf of his client(s) in civil actions. Oral agreements, if established, are enforceable." Appellants contend that the Rule and the holding in Brumbelow are in conflict, and that since the Supreme Court enacted the Rules subsequent to its decision in Brumbelow, the Rule controls and permits enforcement of the purported agreement. We agree, however, with appellees' argument that although the Rule makes oral agreements enforceable "if established," Brumbelow decrees how they are to be established. That is, where the very existence of the agreement is disputed, it may only be established by a writing. [Id. at 829.]