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

De c id e d : Ju n e 6 , 2 0 16

S 1 6 F0 3 3 6 . TRIOLA v

. TRIOLA.

THOMP S O N, Ch ie f Ju stic e

.

In th is d iv o rc e a c tio n

, a

p p e lla n t Jo se p h Trio la(h u sb a nd ) wa s o rd e re d to

p a y a pp e lle e Ja n e t Trio la (wife ) te m p o ra ry a lim o n y

, a n d th e fin a l ju d g m e n t, in

p a rt, o rd e re d h u sb a

n d to p a y wife a n $ 1 8 ,0 0 0 a rre a ra ge o we d u n d e r th e

te m p o ra ry a lim o n y a w a rd

. W e g ra n te d h u sb a n d’s a p p lic a tio n fo r d isc re tio n a ry

a p p e a l to c on sid e r wh e th e r th e a wa rd o f te m po ra ry a lim o n y

, a s we ll a s th e

a rre a ra g e p ro v isio n in th e fin a l d e c re e

, m ust b e re v e r s e d be c a

u se th e first

te m p o ra ry a lim o n y ord e r w a s m a d e b y a ju d g e wh o e n te re d th e a wa rd a fte r th e

e ffe c tiv e d a te of h is re sig n a t i o n an d th e se c on d te m p o ra ry a lim o n y o rd e r,

id e n tic a l to th e first, wa s m a d e b y a s u c c e s s o r ju dg e wh o d id n ot c o nd u c t a n

in d e pe n d e n t re vie w o f th e e v id e n c e be fo re e n te rin g th e a wa rd

. We c o n c lu d e

th a t, un d e r th e se c i r c u m sta n c e s, b o th th e a w a rd o f te m p o ra ry a lim o ny a n d th e

$ 1 8

, 0 0 0 a rre a ra g e p ro v isio n o f th e fin a l ju d g m e n t m u st b e re v e rse d

.Th e fa c ts in th is c a se

, la rg e ly u nd isp u te d by th e p a rtie s, a r e a s fo llo ws:

h u sb a n d a n d wife w e re o rig in a lly d iv o rc e d in 2 0 0 6 b y e n try o f a fin a l ju d g m e n t

a n d d e c re e o f div o rc e sig n e d b y Ju d g e Ke n n e th Nix

. Afte r wife ’s su b se q u e n tly

file d m o tio n to se t a sid e th e 2 0 0 6 ju d g m e n t wa s g ra n te d

, sh e file d a pe titio n fo r

te m p o ra ry a lim on y p u rsu a n t to OCGA § 19 -6 -3

. Ju d ge Nix h e ld a n e v id e n tia ry

h e a rin g on wife ’s m o tio n in S e p te m b e r 2 0 1 0 a t wh ic h b o th p a rtie s p re se n te d

e v id e n c e a n d te stifie d a t le ng th re g a rd in g wife ’s n e e d fo r su p p o rt, h u sb a n d ’s

a b ility to p a y

, a nd a lle g a tio n s o f a d u lte ry wh ic h h u sb an d c la im e d p re c lu d e d a n

a lim o n y a wa rd

. S e e OCGA § 1 9 -6 -1 (b ) (p re c lu d in g m o v i n g p a r ty fro m

re c e iv in g a lim o n y if it is e sta b lish e d b y a p re p o n d e ra n c e o f th e e vid e n c e th a t th e

se p a ra tio n o f th e p a rtie s is c a u se d b y m o v in g p a rty ’s a d u lte ry ); OCGA § 1 9 -6 -1

(c ) (a u th o riz in g a lim on y in a c c o rd a n c e with th e n e e d s o f th e m o v in g p a rty a n d

th e a b ility o f th e o th e r pa rty to p a y ); OCGA § 1 9 -6 -3 (a uth o riz in g a wa rd o f

te m p o ra ry a lim o n y a nd id e n tify i n g fa c to rs to b e c o n sid e re d in m a k in g su c h

a wa rd ).

On Oc to b e r 4

, 20 1 0

, be fo re ru lin g o n th e m o tio n fo r te m po ra ry a lim o n y

,

Ju d g e Nix re sig n e d. Two d a y s la te r, a fte r th e e ffe c tiv e d a te o f h is re sig n a tio n

,

Ju d g e Nix sig n e d a n o rd e r a wa rd in g wife te m p o ra ry a lim o ny o f $ 3 ,6 0 0 p e r

2m o n th

. Hu sb a n d m o v e d to se t a sid e Ju dg e Nix ’s te m p o ra ry o rd e r b u t h is m o tio n

wa s d en i e d on Oc to b e r 2 0

, 20 1 0

, b y Ju d g e Re u b e n Gre e n

, wh o h a d a ssu m e d

re sp o n s i b i l i t y fo r Ju d g e N ix ’s c a se lo a d

. O n th e sa m e d a y

, with ou t h o ld in g a

n e w h e a rin g

, Ju d g e Gre e n e n te re d a te m p ora ry a lim o n y o rd e r th a t a w a rd e d wife

te m p o ra ry a lim on y o f $ 3 ,6 0 0 p e r m o n th

.

Afte r a b e n c h tria l, a fin a l ju d g m e n t wa s e n te re d g ra n tin g wife p e rm a n e n t

a lim o n y o f $ 3 ,0 00 p e r m on th fo r 1 20 m o n th s

. A s p re v io u sly sta te d

, th e fin a l

ju d g m e n t a lso o rd e re d h u sb a n d to p a y wife an $1 8,0 0 0 a rre a ra g e owe d un d e r th e

Oc to b e r 2 0

, 2 0 1 0 te m

p o ra ry a lim o n y o rd e r. On a p pe a l fro m th e fin a l ju d g m e n t,

th is Co u rt re ve rse d a n d re m a nd e d to th e tria l c o u rt be c a u se th e tria l c o u rt fa ile d

to h o ld a h e a rin g o n h u sb a nd ’s m o tio n fo r n e w tria l. S e e Trio la v

. Trio la

, 2 9 2

Ga

. 8 08 (7 4 1 S E2 d 6 5 0 ) (2 0 1 3 ). Hu sb a n d ’s m o tio n fo r n e w tria l wa s d e n ie d o n

re m a n d a fte r a h e a rin g

, a n d in De c e mb e r 2 0 1 4

, th is C o u rt g ra n te d h u sb a n d ’s

tim e ly file d a

pp lic a tio n fo r disc re tio n a ry a p p e a l, e x pla in in g th a t th e Co u rt wa s

p a rtic u la rly c on c e rn e d with wh e th e r Ju d g e Gre e n c o m m itte d e rro r wh e n h e

e n te re d h is te m

p o ra ry a lim o n y o rd e r, a n issu e re le v a n t in th is a pp e a l b e c a

u se o f

th e d ire c tiv e in th e fin a l ju d g m e n t th a t h usb a n d p ay th e $ 1 8 ,0 0 0 a rre a ra g e

.

1

. Hu sb a n d c o n te nd s th e tria l c o urt e r r e d b y o rd e rin g h im to p a y th e

3$ 1 8 ,0 0 0 a rre a ra g e be c a u se th e first te m

po ra ry a lim o n y o rd e r wa s issu e d b y

Ju d g e Nix wh o

, o n th e d a te it wa s sig n e d

, wa s n o lo n g e r a sittin g su p e rio r c o urt

ju d g e

, a n d th e se c o n d te m po ra ry o rd e r wa s e nte re d b y Ju dg e G re e n

, a ju d g e wh o

d id n ot h e a r th e e v id e nc e offe re d b y th e p a r t i es p e rta in in g to wife ’s m o tio n

.

Wife

, in c o n tra st, u rg e s u s to u p h old Ju d g e Nix ’s te m p ora ry o rd e r b y c o n c lu d in g

th a t it “ re la t e d ba c k ” to th e S e p te m b e r e v id e n tia ry h e a rin g o v e r wh ic h h e

p re sid e d

. Alte rn a tiv e ly

, sh e a rg u e s th a t d u e to th e na tu re o f te m p o ra ry a lim o n y

,

Ju d g e Gre e n wa s n o t re q u ire d to c o n d u c t an in de p e nd e n t re vie w o f th e e v id e n c e

b e fo re ru lin g

, a nd e ve n if su c h re v ie w wa s re q u ire d

, we sh o u ld a ssu m e h e re lie d

o n th e re c o rd in m a k in g h is fin d in g s a nd c on c lu sio ns.

It is be y o n d a ll re a so na

ble d isp u te th a t Ju d g e Nix h a d no a u th o rity to sig n

th e Oc to b e r 6

, 2 0 1 0 te m

po ra ry o rd e r a fte r th e e ffe c tiv e d a te o f h is re sig n a tio n

a n d th a t te m

po ra ry o rd e r wa s v o id a n d o f n o le g a l e ffe c t. S e e OCGA § 9 -1 2 -1 6

(ju d g m e n t v o id fo r a n y c a u se “ is a m e re nu llity ”) ; B r a n d v

. City o f

La wre n c e v ille

, 12 7 Ga

. 2 37

, 2 3 7 (5 5 S E 9 6 7 ) (1 9 06 ) (tria l ju d g e h a s n o

a u th ority a fte r he o r sh e g oe s o u t o f offic e

, b y re sig n a tio n o r oth e rwise

, to sig n

writ o f e rro r); Gra c e v

. G o rd o n

, 1 1 3 Ga

. 8 8, 9 0 (3 8 S E 4 0 4 ) (1 9 0 1 ) (c o n c lu d in g

th a t ju dg e h a d n o a

u th o rity

, a fte r e x p ira tio n o f te rm o f o ffic e

, to sig n b il l o f

4e x c e p tio n s). It is lik e wise b e y o n d re a so n a b le d isp ute th a t Ju d g e Gre e n , a s th e

su c c e sso r ju d g e

, wa s a

uth o riz e d to awa rd te m

p o ra ry a lim on y to e ith e r p a rty a s

lo n g a s th e litig a tio n wa s p e n d in g

. S e e OCGA § 19 -6 -3 (a ) (p ro v id in g th a t in

a p e n d in g a c tio n f

o r d i v o rc e

, e ith e r p a rty m a y a pp ly to p re sid in g ju d g e fo r a n

o rd e r g ra n tin g te m

p o ra ry a lim o n y ); Bro wn v

. Bro wn

, 2 24 Ga

. 9 0, 9 1 (1 6 0 S E2 d

3 4 3 ) (1 9 6 8 ) (wh e th e r to g ra n t o r re fu se te m p o ra ry a lim o ny is a q u e stio n fo r th e

c o u rt). T h e q u e stio n be fo re u s re la te s th e n no t to a tria l c ou rt’s g e n e ra l a u th o rity

to a wa rd te m

p o ra ry a lim o n y bu t to th e pro c e ss re qu ire d w h e n

, in a c iv il a c tio n

,

th e o rd e r o f a pre d e c e sso r ju d g e wh o h e a rd th e e v id e n c e o n a pa rty ’s m o tio n fo r

te m p o ra ry a lim o n y is d e e m e d v o id an d a su c c e sso r ju dg e is c a lle d u p o n to ru le

o n th e sa m e m o tio n

.

We h a v e fo u n d n o Ge o rg ia c a se or pro c e d u ra l ru le sp e c ific a lly a dd re ssin g

a su c c e sso r ju d g e ’s a

u th o rity to m a k e fin d in g s o f fa c t a nd c on c lu sio n s o f la w

u n d e r sim ila r c irc u m sta n c e s, a n d th e p artie s h a ve p o in te d u s to n o n e

. Ho we ve r,

OCGA § 1 9 -6 -3 (a ) e xp lic itly re q u ire s a tria l c ou rt in c o n sid e rin g w h e th e r to

g ra n t te m p o ra ry a lim o n y to h e a r “ bo th p a rtie s a n d th e e v id e n c e a s to a ll th e

c irc u m sta n c e s o f th e pa rtie s a n d a s to th e fa c t o f m arria g e [.] ” Id

. S e e F rie d v

.

F rie d

, 2 1 0 Ga

. 4 5 7

, 4 5 9 -4 6 0 (8 0 S E2 d 7 9 6 ) (1 9 5 4) (“ In a rriv in g a t th e p ro p e r

5o rd e r [ o n a mo tio n fo r te m p o ra ry a lim o n y ]

, th e c ou rt is u nd e r th e d u ty to

c o n sid e r th e p e c u lia r n e c e ssitie s o f th e [m ov in g pa rty ] g r o w i n g o ut o f th e

p e n d in g litig a tio n [.] ” ). S u b se c tio n s (b ) a n d (c ) o f th e s a m e sta tu te c o m m a n d

th a t “ [i] n a rriv in g a t a d e c isio n

, th e ju d ge sh a ll c on sid e r th e p e c u lia r n e c e ssitie s

c re a te d fo r e a c h p a rty b y th e p e n d in g litig a tio n a nd a ny e vid e n c e o f a se p a ra te

e sta te o wn e d b y e ith e r p a rty ” a n d a u th o riz e th e tria l ju d ge

, “ in fix in g th e a m o u n t

o f a limo n y

, ” t o “ in q uire in to th e c a u se a n d c irc u m sta n c e s o f th e se pa ra tio n

re n d e rin g th e a limo n y n e c e ssa ry [.] ” O CGA § 1 9-6 -3 (b ) a n d (c ). Th u s, a n

a wa rd u n d e r OCGA § 1 9 -6 -3 is d e p e n d e n t up on a tria l c o u rt’s c o n sid e ra tio n o f

th e fin a n c ia l c irc u m sta n c e s o f th e p a rtie s, a s we ll a s th e re a so n fo r th e p a rtie s’

se p a ra tio n

, a n d th e tria l j u d g e ma k in g th e awa rd m u st h e ar a n d re v ie w th e

e v id e n c e a

b se n t th e c o n se n t o f t h e pa rtie s to a n a lte rn a tiv e p ro c e ss. We h a v e

lo n g h e ld th a t th e ju dg e c o n sid e rin g a te m p o ra ry a lim o n y re qu e st h a s disc re tio n

to h e a r th e e vid e nc e o ra lly o r b y a ffid a vit. S e e Ro ge rs v

. Ro g e rs, 1 0 3 Ga

. 7 6 3

,

7 6 4 (3 0 S E2 d 6 5 9 ) (1 8 9 8 ) (re c o g n iz in g th a t a tria l c ou rt ru lin g o n a pe titio n fo r

te m p o ra ry a lim on y m

u st “ he a r” th e e v id e n c e a s to th e p a rtie s’ c irc u m sta n c e s b u t

h o ld in g th a t a c o u rt m a y

, in its d isc re tio n

, he a r th e e v id e n c e e ith e r o ra lly o r b y

a ffid a vits).

6Ju d g e Gre e n

, th e re fo re

, wo u ld h a v e b e e n a u th o riz e d to d e c id e th e m o tio n

fo r te mp o ra ry a lim o n y b a se d o n o ra l te stim o n y p re se n te d a t a he a rin g o v e r

wh ic h h e p re sid e d o r a ffid a v it e v id e n c e

. He re

, it is u n d isp u te d th a t n o h e a rin g

p e rta in in g to wife ’s m o tio n fo r te m p o ra ry a lim on y wa s h e ld be fo re Ju d g e Gre e n

p rio r to e n try o f h is O c to b e r 2 0

, 2 0 1 0 ord e r a n d th e re is n o su g ge stio n in t h e

re c o rd th a t h e c o n d u c te d a n in d e p e n d e n t re v ie w o f th e e v id e nc e p re v io u sly

su b m itte d b y th e p a rtie s a k in to th e p e rm issib le re v ie w o f a ffid a v its. 1

Ad d itio n a lly

, it a

p p e a r s t h e p a rtie s w e re giv e n no n o tic e o f th e tria l c o u rt’s

in te nt to d e c id e th e issu e s ra ise d b y wife ’s m o tio n with ou t th e b e n e fit o f a n e w

h e a rin g

. No tic e to th e p a rtie s of th e tria l c o u rt’s c ha n g e in p r ac t i c e w a s

e sp e c ia lly im

p o rta n t in th is c a se b e c a u se th e p ra c tic e fo l l o w e d b y th e

p re d e c e sso r ju d g e in d e c id in g th e sa m e m o tio n ha d b e e n to a llo w th e p a rtie s to

p re se nt b o th a ff

id a vits a n d o ra l te stim o n y

. We c on c lu d e

, u n d e r th e se

c irc u m sta n c e s, th a t th e O c to b e r 2 0

, 20 10 o rd e r awa rd in g w ife te m p o ra ry

a lim o n y wa s e n te re d in e rro r a n d th a t pa rt o f th e tr i a l c o u rt’s fin a l ju d g m e n t

1 Although w if

e argues that the October 20, 201 0 ruling m ay h ave been based on

Judge Green’s r eview of the record, the transcrip t o f t h e p revious m otion hearing was not

m ade p art of the record until July 31, 2012, alm o st t wo y ears af ter J u dge G reen’s o rder was

issued, rendering it im

possible f or him to have reviewed the previous hearing transcript.

7d ire c tin g h u sb a n d to p a y to wife $ 1 8 ,0 00

, a n a m o un t re p re se n tin g th e a rre a ra g e

h u s b a n d o we d p u rsu a nt to th e Oc to be r 2 0, 2 0 1 0 te m p o ra ry o rd e r, m

u st b e

re v e rse d

.

2

. Re g a rd i n g t h e i s s u e o f r e l i e f

, we n o te th a t th e o n ly issu e le ft to b e

re so lv e d is w h e th e r wife is e n title d to te m p o ra ry a l i m o n y an d th e e v id e n c e

o rig in a lly su b m itte d b y th e p a rtie s p e rta in in g to wife ’s m o tio n is n ow pa rt o f th e

re c o rd in th is c a se

. Th e po ssib ility th a t wife m a y b e e n title d to se e k a d d itio n a l

te m p o ra ry a lim o n y

, in wh ic h c irc um sta n c e a d d itio n a l e v id e nc e m a y n e e d to b e

p re se n te d to a

n d c o n sid e re d b y th e tria l c ou rt, p re c lu d e s u s, h o we v e r, f r o m

d e c id in g th e issu e o n th e e x istin g re c o rd . S e e Ro b in so n v . Ro b in so n, 2 8 7 Ga

.

8 4 2

, 8 4 6 -8 4 7 (7 00 SE2 d 5 4 8 ) (2 0 1 0 ) (te m p o ra ry a lim on y a wa rd “ c o n tin u e s in

e ffe c t u n til th e e n try o f th e re m ittitu r in th e tria l c o urt.” ); Ch lu p a c e k v

.

Ch lu p a c e k

, 2 26 G a

. 52 0

, 5 2 2 ( 3 ) (1 7 5 S E2 d 8 3 4 ) (1 9 7 0 ) (ju d gm e n t fo r

te m p o ra ry a lim o n y c o n tin ue s in fo rc e u n t i l te rm in a tio n o f litig a tio n in a ll

c o u rts); Bro wn v

. B ro wn

, 2 2 4 Ga

. 9 0

, 9 1 -9 2 (1 6 0 S E2 d 3 4 3 ) (1 9 6 8) (a ffirm in g

a wa rd o f a d d itio n a l a tto rn e y fe e s fo llo wi n g r e v e rsa l o f a lim o n y a wa rd o n

a p p e a l). Ac c o rd in g ly

, th is c a se is re m a n d e d to th e tria l c o u rt fo r p ro c e e d in g s

c o n siste n t with th is o p in io n

.

83

. Hu sb a n d ’s re m a in in g e n u m e ra tio n s o f e rro r a re with o u t m e rit, a n d th e

re m a in d e r o f th e tria l c o urt’s fin a l ju dg m e nt, th e re fo re , is a ffirm e d

.

Ju d g m e n t a ffirm e d in p a rt a n d re v e rse d in p a r t a n d c a se re m a n d e d with

d ire c tio n . All th e Ju stic e s c on c u r.

9