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

De c id e d: No v e m b e r 1 6, 2 01 5

S 15 A1 3 3 4 . DODS ON v . DODS ON.

MELTON, Ju stic e

.

We g ra n te d a n a

p p lic a tio n fo r in te rlo c u to ry a p p e a l to d e te rm in e wh e th e r

t h e tria l c o u rt e rre d wh e n it d e n ie d e n fo rc e m e n t o f a p re n u p tia l a g re e m e n t

b e twe e n Ric k y Do d so n (Hu sb a n d ) an d Ke lly Do d so n (Wife ) o n th e ba sis th a t

H u s b a n d fa ile d to e sta b lish th a t h e m a de a fu ll a n d fa ir d isc lo su re o f h i s

fin a nc ia l c o n d itio n . F o r th e re a so n s se t fo rth b e lo w, we a ffirm

.

In re le v a nt p a rt, th e re c o rd sh o ws th a t th e p a rtie s a re p u rsu in g a div o rc e ,

a n d Wife file d a m o tio n to d e n y e n fo rc e m e n t of a p re n u p tia l a g re e m e n t e n te re d

in to b y th e p a

rtie s. A f t e r a h e a rin g , th e tria l c ou rt a n a ly z e d th e pre n u p tia l

a g re e m e n t u n d e r th e sta n d a rd se t fo rth in S c h e re r v

. S c h e re r, 2 4 9 Ga

. 63 5 (2 9 2

S E2 d 6 62 ) (1 9 8 2 ), a n d fo u n d it to b e u ne n fo rc e a b le . S c h e re r h o ld s th a t

th e tria l ju d g e sh o u ld e m

p lo y b a sic a lly th re e c rite ria in d e te rm in in g wh e th e r to e n fo rc e su c h a n a gre e m e n t in a p a rtic u la r c a se : (1 ) wa s th e a g re e m e n t o b ta in e d th ro u g h fra u d

, d u re ss o r m ista ke

, o r th ro u g h

m isre pre se n ta tio n o r n o n d isc lo su r e o f m a te ria l fa c ts? (2 ) Is th e

a g re e m e n t u n c o n sc io n a

b le ? (3 ) Ha v e th e fa c ts a n d c irc um sta n c e s

c h a n g e d sin c e th e a g re e m e n t w a s e x e c u te d, so a s to m a ke its

e n fo rc e m e nt u n fa ir a n d u n re a so n a b le ?(Cita tio n o m itte d .) Id

. a t 6 4 1 (3 ). “ Wh e th e r a n a g re e m e n t is e n fo rc e a b le in lig h t

o f th e se c rite ria is a

d e c isio n m a d e in th e tria l c o u rt' s so u n d d i s c r e t io n. [Cit.] ”

Ale x a nd e r v

. Ale x a n d e r, 2 7 9 Ga . 1 1 6 , 1 1 7 (6 1 0 S E2 d 4 8 ) (2 0 0 5 ). “ Un d e r th is

sta n d a rd

, we re v ie w th e tria l c o u rt' s le g a l ho ld in g s d e n ov o , a n d we u p h o ld th e

tria l c ou rt' s fa c tu a l fin d in g s a s lo n g a s th e y are n o t c le a rly e rro n e o u s , w h ic h

m e a n s th e re is so m e e v id e nc e in th e re c o rd to s u p p o rt th e m .” (Cita tio n s

o m itte d .) La wre n c e v

. La wre n c e , 2 8 6 G a

. 3 0 9

, 3 10 (1 ) (6 8 7 S E2 d 4 2 1 ) (2 0 0 9 ).

“ [T] h e tria l c o u rt e sse n tia lly sits in e q u i t y a n d h a s d isc re tio n to ‘a p p ro v e th e

a g re e m e n t in wh o le o r i n p a rt, o r re fu se to a p p ro v e it a s a wh ole

. ’ [Cit.] ”

Ale x a nd e r, su p ra , 2 7 9 Ga . a t 1 1 7 -1 1 8

.

Alth o u g h th e tria l c ou rt fo u n d th a t th e p re n u p tia l a g re e m e n t sa tisfie d a ll

o th e r pa rts o f th e Sc h e re r te st, 1 it fo u n d th a t th e a g re e m e n t wa s u n e n fo rc e a b l e

d u e to th e n o n d isc lo su re o f m a te ria l fa c ts. In d o in g so , th e tria l c o urt p o in te d to

a n u m b e r o f fa c to rs. F irst, th e t r i a l c o u rt n o te d th a t, a lth o u g h th e pre n u p tia l

a g re e m e n t lists a ll o f H u s b a n d ’ s a sse ts, it c o n ta in s n o v a lu e s fo r th e se a sse ts–

in c lu din g th e va lu e o f Hu sb a n d ’s b a n k a c c o u n ts a n d two c lo se l y

- h e l d b u s i n e s se s

o wn e d b y h im

. At th e h e a rin g o n Wife ’s m o tio n to d e n y e n fo rc e m e n t, th e tria l

1 Wife d id n o t c o n te st th e se fin d in g s.

2c o u rt wa s p re se nte d with e v id e n c e re ga rd in g th e n a tu re a n d v a lu e of th e se

a sse ts, a n d th e tria l c o u rt m a d e th e d e te rm in a tio n th a t th e se v a lu e s we re m a te ria l

fa c ts th a t we re ne c e ssa ry fo r a fu ll an d fa ir disc lo su re

. S e e L a wre n c e , su p ra , 2 8 6

G a

. a t 3 1 3 (4 ) (On e o f th e re q u ire m e n ts th a t a p a rty se e k in g e nfo rc e m e n t o f a

p re n up tia l a g e e m e n t m

u st m e e t in o rd e r “ [t] o sa ti s f y t h e first p ro ng o f th e

S c h e re r te st,

. . . [is to ] sh o w

. . . th a t th e re wa s ‘a fu ll a n d fa ir d isc lo su re o f th e

a s s e t s o f th e p a rtie s p rio r to th e e xe c utio n o f th e a nte n u p tia l a g re e m e n t’ ” )

(c ita tio n a n d p u nc tu a tio n o m itt e d )

. Se c o n d

, th e tria l c o u rt d e te rm in e d th a t

Hu sb a nd d id n o t a llo w Wife re a so n a b le a c c e ss to h is b a nk a c c o u n ts in o rd e r to

a sc e rta in th e ir v a l u e

. Sp e c ific a lly

, th e tria l c o u rt p o in te d to e v id e n c e th a t, th o u g h

Wife v o l u n t e e re d to a ssist Hu sb a n d with a c c o u n tin g wo rk re la te d to h is

b u sin e sse s, Hu sb a n d d e c lin e d Wife ’s he lp an d fa ile d to d isc lo se th e va lu e s o f

th e b u sin e ss a c c o u n ts to Wife

. F in a lly

, th e tria l c o u rt fo un d th a t Wife sim p ly d id

n o t h a v e in fo rm a tio n a

b o ut or a c c e ss to Hu sb a n d ’s b u sin e ss a c c o u n ts a t a n y

tim e a n d th a t “ th e re wa s n o e v id e n c e pre se n te d

. . . th a t [Wife ] c o u ld k n o w th e

v a lu e of [Hu sb a n d ’s] a c c o u n ts.” (Em p ha sis su p p lie d .) 2 B a se d o n th e se fin d in g s,

2 Th is fa c t distin g u ish e s th e p re se nt c a se fro m S p u rlin v. S p u rlin

, 2 8 9 Ga

. 8 1 8 (7 1 6 S E2 d 2 0 9 ) (2 0 1 1 ), in wh ic h a p o stn u ptia l a g re e m e n t wa s e n fo rc e d
wh e re th e e vid e n c e sh o we d th a t th e wife h a d u n re stric te d a c c e ss to th e fin a n c ia l

r e c o rd s of h e r h u sb a n d

. Fo r sim ila r re a so n s, it is a lso d istin g u ish a b l e f r o m

3it c a n no t b e sa id th a t th e tria l c o u rt a b u se d its d isc re tio n in ru lin g th a t th e

p re n up tia l a g re e m e n t a t issu e wa s u n e n fo rc e a b le

.

No n e th e le ss, pu rsu an t to Ma lle n v

. M a lle n , 2 8 0 Ga

. 43 (6 2 2 S E2 d 8 1 2 )

(2 0 0 5 ), Hu sb a n d a rg u e s th a t th e p re n u p tia l a g re e m e nt is e n f o rc e a ble b e c a use

Wife h a d a d u ty to in q u ire a n d in v e stig a te with re g a rd to th e v a lu e o f a ll o f h is

a sse ts, in c lu d in g th e b a n k a c c o u nts. T his is e rro n e o u s a s b ot h a m a t t er o f fa c t

a n d la w. F a c t u a l l y, th e tria l c o u rt fo u n d th a t Hu sb a n d d id n o t g iv e Wife

re a so na b le a c c e ss to h is ba n k a c c o u n ts, a n d th e re a re fa c ts o f re c o rd su p p o rtin g

th is c o n c lu sio n . Le g a lly , we m a d e c le a r in Blig e v. Blig e , 28 3 Ga

. 6 5 (2 ) (6 5 6

S E2 d 8 22 ) (2 0 0 8 ), th a t, in o rd e r to e n fo rc e a p re n u p tia l a g re e m e n t, th e sp o use

se e k in g e n fo rc e m e nt m

ust sh o w th a t t h e a g re e m e n t c o n ta in e d fu ll a n d fa ir

d isc lo su re o f h is o r he r m a te ria l a sse ts. We fu rth e r c la rifie d th a t, in th e a b se n c e

o f a fu ll a n d fa ir d isc lo su re , th e o th e r sp ou se d o e s n o t h a v e a g e n e r a l d u ty to

in v e stig a te th e a sse ts o f th e o th e r p a rty . Id

.

Hu sb a n d a lso m a in ta in s th a t th e la w re q u ire d o n ly th a t h e l i s t a l l o f h is

m a te ria l a sse ts, n o t th a t h e a p p rise Wife a s to th e ir va lu e s. Th is is a n in c o rre c t

La wre n c e v

. La wre n c e , su p ra , b e c a u se in th a t c a se th e wife h a d g a rn e re d y e a rs

o f fa m ilia rity with h e r h u sb a n d ’s fin a n c ia l d e a lin g s p rio r to e n te rin g i n t o a
p re n up tia l a g re e m e n t.

4a n d o v e rly n a rro w in te rp re ta tio n o f th e la w. 3 Wh a t is a b so l u t e l y re qu ire d b y

S c h e re r is a “ fu ll a n d fa ir d isc lo su re

. ” S e e La wre n c e , su p ra

. As fo u n d b y th e

tria l c o u rt in th is c a se , th e d isc lo su re wa s n e ith e r fu ll, b e c a u se Wife h a d n o re a l

k n o w le d g e o f th e v a lu e o f Hu sb a nd ’s b a n k a c c o u nts, no r fa ir, b e c a use Hu sb a n d

n e v e r a llo we d Wife to h a ve re a so n a b le a c c e ss to th ose a c c o u n ts. As su c h

,

[t] h e e v id e n c e su p p o rts th e tria l c o u rt' s fi n d in g th a t [Hu sb a n d ]
fa ile d to m a k e a fu ll a nd fa ir disc lo su re o f h is a sse ts

, i n c o m e , a n d
liab ilitie s to [Wife ] p rio r to th e e x e c u tio n o f t h e an te n u ptia l

a g re e m e n t, a

n d n o th in g in Ma l l e n or [Wife ’s] a c tio ns o r in a c tio n s
p rio r to th e e x e c u tio n o f th e a n te n u p tia l a g re e m e nt e x c u se s [Hu sb a n d ’s] n o n disc lo su re

.

Blig e , su p ra , 2 8 3 G a

. a t 7 1 -7 2 (2 ). Th e re fo re , th e tria l c o u rt d id n o t a b u se its

d isc re tio n b y d e te rm in in g th a t th e p re n u p tia l a g re e m e n t fa ile d th e first p ro n g o f

th e S c h e re r te st.

Ju d g m e n t a ffirm e d

. A ll th e Ju stic e s c o n c ur, e x c e p t Bla c k w e ll, J., wh o

c o n c u rs in ju d g m e n t o n ly

.

3 We a g a in n ote th a t “ a tta c h in g to th e a n te nu ptia l a g re e me n t fin a n c ia l

sta te m e n ts sh o w i n g b o th p a rtie s' a sse ts, liab ilitie s, a nd in c o m e , wh ile n o t

n e c e ssa ry , ‘is th e m o st e ffe c tiv e m e th o d o f sa tisfy in g th e sta tu to ry [d isc lo su re ]

o b lig a tio n in m o st c irc u m sta nc e s,’” La wre n c e , su p ra , 28 6 Ga

. a t 3 1 3 (4 ), c itin g Blig e , su p ra , 2 8 3 Ga

. a t 6 9 n . 1 2

.

5