FI RST DI VI SI ON DOYLE, C. J.

, PHI PPS, P. J.

, and BOGGS, J.

N O T IC E : M otions for r e c ons i de r a tion m us t be ph y sic a l ly r e ce iv ed i n our c le r k ’s offic e w ithin te n da y s of the da te of de c is ion to be de e m ed tim e ly file d.

http://w w w .ga a ppe a l s .us /r ule s

Febr uar y 25, 2016



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 5 A1 90 7 . COOPER v . COULTER.

P H I P P S , Pres i d i n g J u dg e.

M i ch ael Co o p er ap p eal s fro m t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s o rd er den y i n g h i m cu s to d y o f h i s

n i n e-y ear-o l d s o n an d m odif y ing hi s v i s i t at io n p ri v il eg es

. Fi n di n g n o erro r, we affi rm

.

Vi ewed fav o rab l y t o t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s ru l i ng , 1 t h e ev i d en ce sh o w s t h at Tab i t h a

Co u l ter an d Co o p er h ad a b ri ef rel at i o ns h i p t h at pro d u c e d o n e c h i l d

, L. C. Co o p er

l eg i t i m at ed L. C., an d t h e p art i es en t ered in t o a cu s t o d y arran g em en t t h at p laced L. C.

i n Co u l t er’ s cu s t o d y , award ed Co o p er v i s i t at i o n ri g ht s , an d req u i red Co o p er t o p ay

ch i l d s u pp o rt

. Al t h o ug h Co o p er d i d n ot al way s ex erci s e h i s v i si t at i o n pri v i l eg es , h e

s p en t m ore t i m e wi t h L. C. as t h e ch i l d g rew o l der, i n cl u d i n g week en d v i s i t s

.

1 See Dr i ver

v. S en e , 3 27 Ga. Ap p . 2 75 , 2 7 6 (7 5 8 SE2 d 6 1 3 ) (2 0 1 4 ).In M ay 2 01 4

, L

. C. g av e Co u l t er a h a n d

- w r i t t en n o t e d et ai l i n g i s s u es h e h ad

wi t h h is fat h er. Th e no t e s t at ed

, am o n g o t h er t hi n gs , t hat Co o p er h ad “ ji g gl e[d ] h i s

p ri v at es

. . . i n fro n t o f” L. C., t ak en b at h s wi t h h i m , an d s lep t n ak ed i n t h e b ed wi th

h i m

. Sh o rt l y aft er t h e ou t cry , Co u l t er rep o rt ed t h e al l eg at i o n s t o t h e p o l i ce. Co o p er

d en ied an y m i s co n duc t, a nd no cri m i n al ch arg es were fi led

. Co u l t er, h o wev er, n o t i ced

t h at L

. C. ap p eared s cared wh en d i s cu s s i n g h i s fat h er. Co n cern ed ab o ut L. C.’ s s afet y ,

Co u l ter o b t ai n ed an ex p art e res t rai n i ng o rd er o n J u n e 6, 2 0 1 4

, s u s p en d i n g Co o p er’ s

v i s i t at i o n p ri v i l eg es

. Co u l t er al s o fi l ed a co m p l ai n t fo r perm an en t m o d i fi cat i o n an d

s u s p en s io n o f t he pr i vi leg es

. In res p o n s e, Co op er co u n t ercl ai m ed fo r cu s t o d y o f L. C.,

as s ert i n g t h at Co u l t er h ad p o is o n ed L. C.’ s m in d ag ai n s t h i m an d was en g ag ed i n an

i n ap p ro p ri at e, m eret ri ci o u s rel at i on s h i p

.

Th e t ri al co u rt h el d a b en ch t ri al o n t h e co m p et i n g cl ai m s . L. C. t es ti fi ed an d

co n fi rm ed t h at h e wro t e t h e n o t e, as s ert in g th at h e was “ [t ]i r ed o f al l t h at s t u ff

h ap pen i ng ” wh en he v i s i ted h i s fat h er. Al th o u g h h e h ad as k ed h i s fat h er no t t o b eh av e

i n t h i s m an n er, Co o per refu s ed t o s t o p

. L

. C

. s t at ed t h at h e was s cared o f Co o p er,

wh o m he d i d n o t wan t t o s ee ag ai n

.

Co o per d en i ed t h e al l eg at i o n s at t h e b en ch t ri al

, an d h i s at t o rn ey i m p l i ed t h at

Co u l ter had co ach ed L. C. to li e s o t h at s h e co u l d p rev en t Co o per fro m s eei n g h i s s o n.

2Co u l ter t es t i fi ed

, h o wev er, t h at s h e d i d n o t t el l L. C. wh at t o s ay , d i d n o t kn o w ab o ut

L. C.’ s al l e g a t i o n s u n ti l he rep o rt ed t h em , an d h ad no t p l ot t ed t o fal s i fy t h e

al l eg at i o n s ag ai n s t Co o p er. L. C. s i m i larl y t es t i fi ed t h at no o n e t o l d h i m t o m ak e t h e

al l eg at i o n s

.

Th e ev i d en ce fu rt h er s h o ws t h at

, d es p i t e a p ro v is i o n i n th e cu s t o dy d ecree

p ro h ib i t i ng ro m an t ic ov ern i g h t g u es t s , b o t h Co u lt er an d Co o p er h ad en g ag ed i n l i v ei n rel at io n s h i p s

. Co o p er l i v ed wi t h h is g i rl fri en d fo r s ev eral y ears aft er th e d ecree was

en t ered

, an d Co u l ter res i d ed wi t h h er n o w ex -h u s b an d

, Aaro n H art u ng , fo r a p eri o d

o f t i m e befo re t h ey were m arri ed

. Co u l t er al s o ad m i t t ed t h at

, at t he t im e o f t ri al

, a

wo m an wi t h wh o m s h e w a s r o m an t ical l y i n v o lv ed li v ed wi t h h er. Co u l t er as s ert ed

t h at s h e an d h er p art n er were i n a co m m i t t ed rel at i o n sh i p an d p l an n ed t o m arry

t h ro u g h a ci v i l cerem on y

. L

. C., wh o referred t o Co u lt er’ s p art n er as “ s tep m o m ,”

t es t i fi ed t h at t h ei r rel at i on s h i p d i d n o t b o t h er h i m

.

B a s e d o n t h e ev i d en ce p res en t ed

, t h e t ri al co u rt det erm i n ed t h at a m at er i a l

ch an ge o f ci rcu m s t an ces h ad o ccu rred t h at s u pp o rt ed m o d i fi cat i o n o f t h e cu s t o d y

d ecree’ s v i s i t a t i o n pro v i s i o n s

. Sp eci fi cal l y , t h e co u rt o rd ered t h at fo r s i x m o n th s ,

Co o p er’ s v i s i t at io n b e ex erci s ed i n a s u p erv i s ed en v iro n m en t co o rd i n at ed b y Fo u r

Po i n ts

, an o u t s i d e fam i l y ag en cy

. Aft er si x m o n t hs

, Co o p er wo ul d h av e un s up erv i s ed

3v i s i t s wi t h L. C. o n week en d d ay s fo r ei gh t week s

. T h e d e c r e e’ s o ri g in al o v ern i g ht

v i s i t at i o n s ch ed u l e wo u l d reco m m en ce fo l l o wi ng t hat p eri o d. Th e tri al co u rt

i m p l em en t ed t h is g rad u at ed v i si t a t i o n p l an “ fo r t h e b en efi t o f” L. C., n o t in g t h at i t

h ad “ co n cern [s ] ab o u t [L

. C

. ’ s] e m o t i o nal w el l -b ei n g .” Al t h o u g h th e t ri al co u rt d i d n ot

al t er Co ul t er’ s cu s t od y , i t co n cl u d ed t h at sh e h ad “ wi l l fu l l y v i o lat ed t he w h o l es o m e

en v iro n m en t cl au s e” o f t h e d ecree. It fu rt her fo un d t h at s h e co u l d “ p u rg e h ers el f b y

fu l l y co o perat i n g wi th Fo u r Po i n t s .”

1

. Co o p er arg ues o n ap p eal t h at t h e t ri al co u rt erred i n refu s i n g t o p l ace L. C.

i n h is cu s t o d y

. W e d i s ag ree. A cu s t o d y m o d i fi cat io n p et i t i o n s h o ul d be g ran t ed o n l y

“ i f th e t ri al co u rt fi n d s th at t here h as b een a m at eri al ch an ge o f co n d it i on affect i n g t h e

wel f a r e o f t h e ch i ld s i n ce t h e l as t cu s to dy award

. ” 2 Th e t ri al co u rt ex erci s es i t s

d i s cret i o n i n d et erm i n i ng wh et h er a s u ffi ci en t m at eri al ch an g e h as o ccu rred

, an d we

wi l l n o t rev ers e t h at d et erm in at i o n ab s en t ab us e. 3

Acco rd i ng t o Co o p er, Co u l ter’ s li v e-in r e l a ti o n s h i p wi th h er part n er au t h o ri zed

a ch an g e i n c u st o d y

. Co u lt er d o es n o t d is p u te t hat h er rel at i o n s h i p vi o l at ed t h e

2 Ku eh n v. Key

, 32 5 Ga. Ap p

. 5 1 2

, 5 1 3 (1 ) (7 5 4 SE 2 d 1 0 3 ) (2 0 1 4) (fo o t n o t e

an d p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed ).

3 See i d

.

4“ o v ern i g h t g u es t ” p ro h i b i t i o n i n t h e cu s t od y d ecree. Bu t i t i s cl ear t h at b ot h p art i es

ran afo u l o f t h e p ro h i b i t i on

. A n d s u ch l iv e-i n rel at i o n s h i p s , b y t h e m s el ves , d o n ot

warran t a cu st o d y ch an g e. Th e rel at i o n s h i p m u s t affect t h e ch il d ’ s wel fare t o s u p p o rt

m o di fi cat i o n

. 4

Co o per d i d n ot o ffer an y ev i d en ce t h at Co u lt er’ s ro m an t ic rel at i o n s h i p s

n eg at i v el y i m

p act ed L. C. O n t h e co n t rary , t h e reco rd s h ows t h at h e h ad a s t ro n g b o n d

wi t h h i s ex -s t ep fat h er, referred t o h i s m o t her’ s d o m es t i c p art n er as “ s t ep m o m ,” an d

was n o t co n cern ed b y th ei r rel at i o n s h i p

. Al t h ou g h Co u l t er an d h er p art n er k i s s ed an d

h u g g ed i n fro nt o f L. C., t h ere i s n o ev i d e n c e t h a t h e s aw t h em en g ag e i n s ex u al

a c t i v i t y

. Th e t ri al co u rt d i d n o t ab u se i t s d i scret i o n i n refu si ng t o al t er Co u l t e r ’s

cu s t o d y o n t h i s b as i s

. 5

Co o per fu rt h er arg u es t h at t h e t ri al c o u r t s h o u l d hav e award ed h i m cu s t o dy

b ecau s e Co u l t er “ p o i so n ed ” L. C. ag ai n s t hi m an d en co urag ed L. C. t o fal s el y cl ai m

t h at Co o p er en g ag ed i n i n ap p ro pri at e co nd u ct

. L. C. t e s t i f i e d

, h o wev er, t h at t h e

4 See Li ves a

y v. H i l ley

, 1 9 0 Ga. Ap p

. 6 5 5

, 6 56 -6 5 7 (2 ) (3 7 9 SE2 d 5 5 7 ) (1 9 8 9 ).

5 S e e Ha yes v. H a yes , 1 9 9 Ga. Ap p

. 1 3 2

, 1 3 3 (4 0 4 SE2 d 2 7 6 ) (1 9 9 1 ) (m eri t ri ci o u s rel at i on s hi p d id n o t warran t ch a n ge i n cu s t o d y ); Li ves a y , s up ra (t ri al

co u rt erred i n rem o v in g cu s t o d y fro m m ot h er bas ed o n m o t he r ’ s rel at i o n s h i p wi th

l i ve-i n b o y fri en d wh ere reco rd co n t ai ne d n o ev i d en ce t hat rel at i o n sh i p ad v ers el y i m p act ed ch i l d ’ s wel fare).

5al l eg ed m i s c o n d u c t d i d o ccu r, an d Co u l t er i n s i s t ed t h at s h e was n o t en g ag ed i n a

“ p l ot ” ag ai ns t Co o p er. Mo reo v er, b o t h as s ert ed t h at Co u l t er d i d n o t t el l L. C. t o m ak e

t h e al l eg at i o n s . L. C. s tat ed t hat h e wan t ed n o co n t act wi t h h is fat h er o r h i s fat h er’ s

fam i l y , b u t h e at tri b ut ed t hat d eci s i o n t o h i s fat her’s b e h a v i o r , n o t hi s m o t h er’ s

i n fl u en ce. An d al t h ou g h L. C. s o m et i m es referred t o Hart u n g as “ Da d

, ” t h o u g h t o f

Hart u n g’ s n i eces an d nep h ews as “ co u s i n s ,” an d cal l ed h i s m ot h er’ s d o m es t i c p art n er

“ s t ep m o m ,” h e u n d e r s t o o d h i s act ual rel at i o n sh i p t o t h es e i n d i v id u al s an d was n ot

co n fu s ed b y t h e s i t u at i o n

. Gi v en t h is ev i d en ce, t h e t ri al co urt was au t h o ri zed t o reject

Co o p er’ s cl ai m t h at Co u lt er “ p o i s o n ed ” L. C. ag ai n s t h i m o r en co u rag ed L

. C. t o l i e. 6

2

. Co o p er co n ten d s t hat t h e t r i a l co u rt erro neo u s l y m o d i fi ed h i s v i s i t at i o n

p ri v i leg es

. Ag ai n , we d i s ag ree. Th e reco rd s h o w s t h at L. C. h ad b eco m e fearfu l o f h i s

fat h er an d d i d n o t wan t t o v i s i t h i m

. Th e t ri al co u rt decl i n ed t o s u s p en d Co o p er’ s

v i s i t at i o n en t i rel y

. Bu t it ex p res s ed co n cern fo r L. C.’ s em o ti o nal wel l -b ei n g an d

co n cl u d ed t h at

, u n d er t he ci rcu m s tan ces , a g rad u at ed ap p ro ach to v i s i t at i on wo u ld

6 See Ku eh n , s u p ra at 5 0 7 (we wi l l n o t r e v ers e a ch an g e-o f-cu s to d y d eci s i o n

t h at i s s u p p o rt ed b y

an y ev i d en ce). See al s o Lewi s v. Lewi s , 25 2 Ga. Ap p . 5 3 9 , 5 4 3 ( 2 ) ( 5 5 7 SE2 d 4 0 ) (2 0 0 1 ) (“ It i s n ot ou r fu nct i o n t o s eco n d -g ues s th e t ri al c o u r t i n

cas es s u ch as t hi s , wh i ch t u rn l arg el y o n q u es ti o n s o f cred i b il i t y an d ju d g m en t s as to

t h e wel fare o f t h e ch i l d

. Th e t ri al co u rt i s i n t h e bes t po s i t i on t o m ak e d et erm i n at i on s

o n t h es e i s s u es , an d we w i l l n o t o v erru le i t s j u d g m e n t i f t h ere i s an y reas o n ab l e

ev i d en ce t o s u p po rt i t .”) (ci tat i o n an d p u nct u at i o n o m i t t ed ).

6b en efi t t h e ch i l d

. Th e t ri al co urt d i d n o t ab u se i t s d i s cret i o n i n fi n d i ng t h at a m o d i fi ed

v i s i t at i o n p l an s erv ed L.C.’ s b es t i n t eres t s

. 7

3

. Co o p er cl ai m s t h at t h e t ri al co urt s ho u l d h av e m ad e sp eci fi c fi n d i n g s o f fact

an d co n cl u s i o n s o f law wi t h res p ect t o th e v i s i t a t i o n i s s ue. Co o p er, h o wev er,

ap p ro v ed t h e fo rm o f t he t ri al co u rt ’ s fi n al o rd er. “ [A] ft er ap pro v i ng t h e fo rm o f [an ]

o rd er , a p art y can n o t co m p l ai n o f t h e co urt ’ s fai l u re t o i ncl u d e fi n d in g s o f fact an d

co n cl u s i o n s o f l aw.” 8

4

. Fi n al l y , Co o per arg u es t h at th e t ri al co u rt erred i n no t h o ld i n g Co u l t er in

co n tem p t fo r v i o l at i ng t h e cu s t o d y d ecree’ s wh ol es o m e en v i ro n m en t cl au s e. Th e

l an g u ag e o f t h e tri al co u rt ’ s o rd er b el i es th i s cl ai m

. Al t h ou g h t h e o rd er d oes n o t u s e

t h e wo rd “ co n t em

p t,” i t ex p l i ci t l y fo u n d t h at Co u l t er h ad wi l fu l l y v i ol at ed t h e cl au s e

an d t hat s h e co u l d “ p u rg e h ers el f” b y t ak i n g cert ai n s t ep s

. Th e co u rt cl earl y d eem ed

7 See Vi n es v. Vi n es , 2 9 2 Ga. 5 5 0

, 5 52 (2 ) (7 3 9 SE2 d 7 34 ) (2 0 13 ) (t ri al co urt ’ s d i s cret i o n in res ol v i n g vi s i t at i o n i s s u es wi l l no t b e d is t u rb ed on ap p eal ab s en t ab u s e);

Ca n n el l a v. G r a h a m , 3 2 5 G a. A p p

. 5 9 6 (7 5 4 SE2 d 3 8 5 ) (2 01 4 ) (s t an d ard ap p l i ed in

d eci d i n g v i s i t at i o n ri g h t s i s b es t i n t eres t s o f t h e ch i l d ). See al s o Gi l d ar v. Gi l d a r , 3 0 9

G a

. Ap p

. 7 3 0

, 7 3 1 (7 10 SE2 d 9 1 3 ) (2 0 11 ) (“ If reas o nab l e ev i d en ce ex i s t s i n t h e

rec o r d t o s u p po rt th e t ri al co u rt ’ s d eci s i o n t o ch an g e vi s i t at i o n ri g ht s, t h en t h e d eci s i o n o f t h at co u rt wi l l s t an d.”) (p u nct u at i o n o m i t t ed ).

8 W a n g v. Li u , 2 92 Ga. 5 6 8 , 5 7 2 (1 ) (7 4 0 SE2 d 1 36 ) (2 0 1 4 ) (p u n ct u at i o n an d

fo o t n o t e o m i tt ed ).

7Co u l ter i n co n tem p t

. 9 T o fi n d ot h erwi s e wo u l d el ev at e fo rm ov er s u b s tan ce, wh i ch

we d ecl i n e t o d o

. 1 0 Acco rd i n g l y , t h i s cl ai m o f erro r l ack s m eri t

.

Ju d g men t a f f i r m ed . Do yl e, C. J., a n d

Bo g g s , J., co ncu r

.

9 See An s el l v. A n s el l

, 3 2 8 Ga. Ap p. 5 8 6

, 59 2 (3 ) (7 5 9 SE2 d 91 6 ) (2 0 1 4 ) (“ Th e

es s en ce o f ci v i l co n t em

p t i s wi l l fu l d i s o b ed i en ce o f a p ri o r co u rt o rd er.”) (p u n ct u at i o n

an d fo ot n o t e o m i tt ed ).

1 0 See In t he In ter es t o

f U. B.

, 2 4 6 Ga. Ap p

. 3 2 8

, 3 3 2 (3 ) (5 4 0 SE2 d 2 7 8 ) (2 0 0 0) (refu si n g t o el ev at e fo rm o v er s u b s t an ce).

8