# C o u rt o f

A p p ea ls

o f t h e S t a te o f

G eo rg ia

ATLANTA,_

_ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _

Th e Co u rt

o f Ap p ea l s h er eb y p a s s es t h e f

o ll owi n g o r der :

A1 8 A1 46 4 . W I LLI E R. EDW ARDS v . BI LLI E EDW ARDS.

In t h i s d i v o r c e c as e, t he t ri al co u rt en t ered a fi n al ju dg m en t an d decree o f

d i v o rce i n wh i ch i t award ed p ri m ary p h y s ical cu s t o d y o f t h e part i es ’ ch i l d ren t o t h e

wi fe, Bi l li e Ed ward s. Th e h u s ban d

, W i l l i e R. Ed w ard s, fi l ed a m o t io n fo r n ew t ri al

, wh i ch t h e t ri al co u rt den i ed

. He t h en fi l ed t h i s d i rect ap peal

. H owev er, w e l ack

ju ri s d i ct i o n

. Ap p eal s fro m ju dg m en t s o r o rd ers en t ered i n d o m es ti c re l a t i o n s cas es , i n cl u d i n g d i vo rce cas es , m us t b e ap p eal ed by ap p l i cat io n fo r d i s cret i o n ary rev i ew.

See OCGA § 5 -6 -3 5 (a) (2 ). A d i rect ap p eal i s p ro p er u n d er OCGA § 5 -6 -3 4 (a) (1 1 )

fro m al l ju d g m e n t s o r o rd ers “ i n ch il d cu s to d y cas es ” t hat award

, refu se t o ch an ge,

o r m od i fy ch i l d cu s t o d y , o r o r d e r s t h at h o l d or d ecl in e t o h o l d p ers o n s i n co n t em pt

o f ch i l d cu st o d y

o rd ers . Ho wev er, OCGA § 5 -6 -3 4 (a) (1 1) al l o w s a “ d i rect ap p eal

fro m th e t y

p es o f o rd ers s p eci fi ed i n t h at s t at u t e t h at are en t ered i n ‘ cu s to d y cas es ’ b ut

n o t fro m o rd ers rel at i n g t o ch i l d cu s t o d y i s s u es t h at are en t ered i n ‘ d i v orce cas es .’ ”

Vo yl es v. Vo yl es , 3 01 Ga. 4 4 , 4 5 -4 6 (7 9 9 SE2 d 1 6 0 ) (2 0 1 7); s ee H oo ver v. Ho o ver , 2 9 5 Ga. 1 3 2

, 1 34 (1 ) (7 5 7 SE2 d 8 3 8 ) (2 0 14 ) (h o ld i n g t h at wh en ch i l d cu s t o dy i s s u es

are an ci l l ary t o a d iv o rce act i o n , t h e d e t erm i n at i o n o f ch i l d cu s t o d y d o es n ot

t ran s fo rm t h e cas e i n t o a “ ch i l d cu s t o d y cas e” fo r p ur p o s e s o f d et erm i n i n g t h e

ap p ro p ri at e m et h o d fo r ap p eal ); To d d v. To d d

, 2 8 7 G a. 2 5 0

, 2 5 1 (1 ) (7 0 3 SE2 d 5 9 7 )

(2 0 1 0) (“ Al l o th er i s s u es i n a d i v orce act i on , i n cl u di n g ch i l d cu s t o d y , are m erel y

an ci l lary t o [t h e] p ri m ary i s s u e [o f wh et h er t h e m arri ag e s h o ul d be d i s s o l v ed ] .”); s ee

a l s o F o r d v. F o r d

,

_ _ Ga. Ap p

.

_

_ (8 1 8 SE2 d 6 9 0 ) (Cas e No

. A1 8 A1 1 56

, d eci d e d

Au g . 3 0 , 2 0 1 8 ) (reaffi rm i ng t h e h o l d i n gs o f Ho o ver an d To dd ). November 29, 2018Th i s cas e i s p art o f t h e d iv o rce p ro ceed i n g b et w een t h e p art i es an d

, t herefo re,

t h e h u sb an d was req ui red t o fi le an ap p l i cat i o n fo r d is cret i o n ary ap p eal p u rs u an t to

OCGA § 5

- 6

- 3 5 ( a) (2 ). “ Co m p l ian ce wi th th e d i s cret i on ary ap p eal s p ro ced u re i s ju ri s d i ct i o n al .” S

m o ak v. D e

p t

. o f Hu ma n Res o ur ces , 2 21 G a. Ap p

. 2 5 7

, 2 5 7 (4 7 1

SE2 d 6 0) (1 9 9 6 ). Hi s fai l u re t o fo l l o w t h e req u ired ap p el lat e p ro ced u re d ep ri v es u s

o f ju ri s d ict i o n o v er t hi s d i rect ap p eal , wh i ch i s h ereb y DISM ISSED.

C o u r t o f A p p e a l s o f t h e S t a t e o

f G e o r g ia

C le r k ’ s O f f i c e

, A t la n t a

,

_

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ I c e r ti fy t h a t t h e a b o v e i s a t r u e e x t r a c t f r o m

t h e m i n u t e s o

f t h e C o u r t o

f A p p e a l s o f G e o r g i a

. W i t n e s s m y s i g n a t u r e a n d th e s e a l o

f s a i d c o u r t

h e r e t o a f f i x e d t h e d a y a n d y e a r l a s t a b o v e w r i t t e n

.

, C l e r k

. 11/29/2018