In th e S u p re m e Co u rt o f Ge o rg ia

De c id e d: Ja nu ary 2 0 , 2 0 1 5

S 1 4 F 1 8 8 7 . GROVE v

. GROVE.

B ENHAM , Ju stic e

.

Ap p e lla n t is th e Wife in th is d iv o rc e c a se

. At th e fin a l h e a rin g in th e c a se

,

th e p a rtie s, th ro ug h c o u n se l, in d ic a te d th e y ha d re a c h e d a n a g re e m e nt to a ll

te rm s o f th e d iv o rc e

, pro p e rty se ttle m e n t, a n d c h ild c u sto d y issu e s, a nd th a t th e

o n ly m a tte r th e p a rtie s we re su b m ittin g to th e c o u rt fo r fin a l re so lu tio n wa s th e

issu e o f a p p e lle e Hu sb a

n d ’s visita tio n with re sp e c t to th e two -y e a r o ld c h ild o f

th e m a rria g e

. Th e pa rtie s a g re e d th a t W ife wo u ld ha v e p rim a ry p h y sic a l c u sto d y

o f th e c h ild

, a n d th e fa ilu re to a rriv e a t a n a g re e m e n t a b ou t v isita tio n a ro se fro m

th e fa c t th a t Hu sb a n d h a d su b sta n c e a b u se pro b le m s a n d w a s, a t th a t tim e

, liv in g

in a re sid e n tia l re h a

b ilita tio n fa c ility fo r tre a tm e n t. F u rth e r, th e re c o rd re fle c ts

Wife h a d c o n c e rn s a

b o u t Hu sb a n d ’s ab ility to e n su re th e c h ild ’s sa fe ty du rin g

h is visits with h e r

. Co un se l fo r Wife sta te d th a t h e u n d e rsto o d th e p a te rn a l

g ra n dp a re n ts wo u ld lik e v isita tio n with th e c h ild

, a n d in fo rm e d th e tria l ju d g eth a t Wife h a d se v e ra l c o nc e rn s.

F irst, Wife wa s c o n c e rn e d a b o ut wh e th e r th e g ra n d

p a re n ts wo u ld b e a

b le

to p re v e n t im

p ro p e r c o n d u c t b y Hu sb a n d wh ile th e c h ild wa s v i s i t i n g th e

g ra n dp a re n ts. S e c o n d, Wife h a d b e e n p e rm ittin g th e p a te rn a l g ra n d p a re n ts to

v i s i t t h e c hild b u t c o m

p la in e d th a t sh e n e e d e d g re a te r a d v a n c e n o tic e o f th e i r

v isits th an th e y we re c urre n tly p ro v id in g h e r. Th ird , Wife e x p re sse d c o n c e rn

a b o u t th e g ra n d

p a re n ts’ ta k in g th e c h ild to vi s i t H u sb a nd a t h is d ru g

re h a b ilita tio n fa c ility

. F in a lly

, Wife wa n te d th e u n p a id c h ild su pp ort to b e p a id

in fu ll b e fo re e ith e r H u s b a n d o r th e pa te rn a l g ra n d p a re n ts we re p e rm itte d

v isita tio n

. A l l o f t h e issu e s ra ise d b y Wife we re a d d re sse d a t th e he a rin g

,

in c lu din g a s t i p u la tio n th a t Hu sb a n d ’s v isita tio n with th e c hild m u st b e

su p e rv ise d b y a th ird p a rty

. Th e ju d g e th e n a sk e d if th e p artie s wo u ld b e a b le

to d ra w u p a p a re n tin g p la n th a t a d d re sse d th e issu e s re so lv e d a t th e h e a rin g

, a n d

c o u n se l fo r b o th pa re nts a nswe re d a ffirm a tiv e ly

. A p a re n tin g pla n th a t a wa rd e d

v isita tio n rig hts to th e pa te rn a l g ra n d p a re n ts wa s sig n e d b y c o u n se l to e a c h

p a rty

, a n d it wa s a tta c h e d to a n d b e c a m e a p a rt o f th e fin a l ju d g m e n t a n d d e c re e

o f d iv o rc e

. Th e te rm s o f th e fin a l ju dg m e n t a lso c o n ta in e d a n a w a r d o f

v isita tio n to th e g ra n d

p a re n ts. Bo th th e p a re n tin g p la n a n d th e fin a l ju d g m e n t

2p ro v id e th a t th e pa te rn a l g ra n d p a re n ts m a y e x e rc ise v isita tio n with th e c h ild a s

a su b stitu te fo r th e fa th e r. Th e sig n a tu re o f Wife ’s c o u n s e l i n d i c a te s h e

a p p ro v e d th e fin a l ju d g m e n t a s to fo rm

. On a p p e a l, Wife c h a lle n g e s th e o rd e r’s

g ra n t o f v isita tio n rig h ts to th e p a te rn a l g ra n d p a re n ts.

1

. OCGA § 1 9

- 7

- 3 ( c ) g ra n ts to g ra n d p a re n ts o f a m in o r c h ild th e rig h t

to se e k v isita tio n rig h ts “[u ] p on th e filin g o f an o r i g i n al a c tio n o r u p o n

in te rv e n tio n in a n e x istin g p ro c e e d in g ” su c h a s a d i v o r ce a c tio n wh e re th e

c u sto d y o f th e c h ild is a t issu e

. F r o m t h e t ra nsc rip t o f th e h e a rin g o n th e

v isita tio n issu e

, it a

p p e a rs th e p a rtie s h a d a lre a d y a g re e d a n d stip u la te d th a t th e

m o th e r wo u ld ha v e fu ll c u sto d y

. Th e y fu rth e r stip u la te d th a t a l l t h e f a th e r’s

v isits wo u ld b e su p e rv ise d b y a th ird p a rty

. Wife c la im s th e c ou rt, su a sp o n te

,

in se rte d in to th e fin a l d e c re e th e p ro v isio n th a t th e g ra n d p a re n ts c ou ld e x e rc ise

v isita tio n with th e m in o r c h ild a s a su b stitu t e f o r th e fa th e r’s su p e rv ise d

v isita tio n sc he d u le

. Wife c o m p la in s th a t th is o rd e r p e rm its th e g ra n d p a re n ts to

ta k e Hu sb a

n d ’s v isita tio n tu rn s e v e n o n m a jo r h o lid ay s su c h a s Ch ristm a s a n d

Th a n ksg iv in g

. Wife a rg u e s th e tria l c o u rt e rre d by g ra n tin g th e se v isita tio n

rig h ts to th e p a te r n a l g ra nd p a re n ts e v e n th o u g h th e y d id n o t file a pe titio n to

in te rv e n e in th e d iv orc e a c tio n

.

3Wife wa iv e d th is g ro u n d fo r a p p e a l, h o w e v e r, b y n o t ra isin g th e issu e

b e lo w

. S e e Fra nc is v

. Fra nc is

, 27 9 Ga

. 2 4 8, 2 48 -2 4 9 (6 1 1 S E2 d 4 5 ) (2 0 0 5 ).

Th e o n ly o b

je c tio n to th e g ra n d

p a re n ts’ v isita tio n ra ise d a t th e he a rin g a t wh ic h

v isita tio n w a s a d d re sse d wa s Wife ’s re q u e st fo r tim e ly a d v a n c e n otic e b y t h e

g ra n dp a re n ts b e fo re sc h e d u lin g a v isit. Th is c o n c e rn wa s re so lv e d b y d isc u ssio n

a t th e h e a rin g a n d re fle c te d in th e p a re n tin g p la n a d o p te d b y t h e t ria l c o u rt,

wh i c h g ra n ts th e g ra nd

pa re n ts th e rig h t to e x e rc ise v isita tio n with th e m in o r

c h ild a s a su b stitu te fo r th e Hu sb a n d ’s v isita tio n sc h e d u l e

, a n d stip u la te s th e

Hu sb a nd is re qu ire d to giv e n o le ss th a n fo rty -e ig h t h o u rs’ a d v a n c e n o tic e o f h is

in te nt to e x e rc ise h is v isita tio n p riv ile g e s. Th e he a rin g tra n s c rip t re fle c ts th a t

Wife a n d h e r c o u n se l, a s w e ll a s th e p a te rn a l g ra n dp are n ts, we re p re se n t a t th e

h e a rin g

, y e t Wife m a d e n o o b je c tio n to g ra n tin g th e g r a n d p a re nts v isita tio n

rig h ts o n th e g ro u n d th a t th e y h a d fa ile d to in te rv e n e in th e a c tio n, o r a ny o th e r

g ro u n d

.

P u rsu a n t to OCGA § 9 -1 1 -1 5 (b ): “ Wh e n issu e s n o t ra ise d b y th e

p le a d in g s a re trie d by e x p re ss o r im plie d co n se n t o f th e p a rtie s, th e y sh a ll b e

tre a te d in a ll re sp e c ts a s i f th e y h a d b e e n ra ise d in th e p le a d in g s.” He re

, Wife

e f fe c tiv e ly a c q u ie sc e d a n d c o n se n te d to th e g ra n d p a re n ts’ p a rtic ip a tio n in t h e

4p ro c e e d in g a s we ll a s th e c o u rt’s a u th o rity to m a k e a n a wa rd of v isita tio n rig h ts

to th e m e v e n th ou g h th e y d id n o t file a p le a d in g to in te rv e n e in th e a c tio n

. S e e

Ru d e v

. Ru d e

, 2 4 1 Ga

. 45 4 (1 ) (2 4 6 S E2 d 3 1 1 ) (1 9 7 8 ) (a pp ly in g th is ru le o f th e

Civ il P ra c tic e Ac t to h o ld

, in a d iv o rc e p ro c e e d in g, th a t th e h usb a n d ’s fa ilu re to

ra ise th e o b

je c tio n th a t th e wife ’s p le a d in g s d id n ot in c lu d e a sp e c ific p ra y e r fo r

a tto rn e y fe e s, w h ile p e rm ittin g th e c ou rt to litig a te th e m a tte r, se rv e d a s c o n se n t

to th e c o u rt’s a u th o rity to m a k e su c h a n a wa rd ).

2

. OCGA § 1 9 -7 -3 (c ) fu rth e r p ro v id e s th a t a g ra n t o f v isita tio n rig h ts to

a n y gra n d pa re n t m a y b e ma d e “ i f th e c o u rt fin d s th e h e a lth o r we lfa re o f th e

c h ild wo u ld b e h a rm e d un le ss su c h v isita tio n is g ra n te d

, a n d if th e be st in te re st

o f th e c h ild wo uld b e se rv e d b y su c h v isita tio n . Th e c o u rt sh a ll m a k e sp e c ific

w ritte n fin d in g s o f fa c t in su p p o rt o f its ru lin g s.” Wife a sse rts t h e f i n a l

ju d g m e n t sh o u ld b e re v e rse d fo r a b u se o f d isc re tio n b e c a

u se it g ra n ts v isita tio n

rig h ts to th e pa te rn a l g ra n d p a re n ts with o ut m a k in g th e re q u ire d writte n fin d in g s

o f fa c t. Wife c o n te n d s th e fa c ts o f th is c a se a re ne a rly in d istin gu ish a bl e f r o m

th o se in Hu nte r v

. Ca rte r

, 2 2 6 Ga

. Ap p

. 2 5 1 (4 8 5 S E2 d 8 2 7) (1 9 9 7 ), in wh ic h

th e Co u rt o f Ap p e a ls re v e rse d th e g ra n t o f g ra nd pa re n t v isita tio n rig h ts b e c a use

th e e v id e n c e d id no t su p po rt th e tria l c o u rt’s fin d in g th a t th e m in or c h ild wo u ld

5b e h a rm e d if th e g ra n d p a re n ts we re d e n ie d visita tio n rig hts. In fa c t, th is c a se is

h ig h ly d istin g u ish a

b le fro m Hu n te r in th a t h e re

, Wife

, th ro u g h h e r c o u n se l,

a p p ro v e d th e fin a l ju d g m e n t a s t o f o r m a nd ra ise d n o ob

je c tio n to th e tria l

c o u rt’s fa ilu re to m a k e fin d in g s o f fa c t, wh e re a s in Hu n te r

, th e c h ild ’s m o th e r

a n d ste p fa th e r

, w h o wa s a tte m p tin g to a d o pt h is wife ’s c h ild

, op po se d th e

g ra n dp a re n ts in th e tria l c ou rt p ro c e e d in g a n d pre se n te d e v id e nc e th a t re q u ire d

th e re v e rsa l o f th e ju d g m e n t g ra n tin g v isita tio n rig h ts, a lo n g with its fin d in g s o f

fa c ts a n d c o n c lu sio n s o f la w. Id . a t 2 52 -2 5 3

.

Ag a in

, Wife d id n o t p re se rv e th is issu e fo r a p p e a l. “ Afte r a

p p ro v in g th e

fo rm o f th e o r d e r

, a p a rty c a n n o t c o m p la in o f th e c o u rt’s fa ilu re to in c lu d e

fin d in g s o f fa c t a n d c o n c lu sio n s o f la w.” Ru d e v

. Ru d e

, su pra

, 24 1 Ga

. a t 4 5 5

.

S e e a lso Ga n t v

. Ga n t

, 2 5 4 Ga

. 2 3 9

, 2 40 (3 ) (3 2 7 SE2 d 7 2 3 ) (1 98 5); Ha rg e tt

v

. Dic k e y

, 3 0 4 Ga

. A p p

. 38 7 (2 ) (6 9 6 SE2 d 3 3 5 ) (2 0 1 0 ). Ha v in g a pp ro v e d th e

o rd e r a s to fo rm

, Wife is e sto p p e d fro m a sse rtin g o n a p p e a l th a t th e fo rm o f th e

o rd e r wa s d e fic ie n t b e c a

u se it d id n o t in c lu d e fin d in g s o f fa c t.

Ju d g m e n t a ffirm e d . All th e Ju stic e s c o nc u r.

6