# C o urt o f A ppe a ls

o f th e S ta te o f G e o 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 :

A2 4 A0 25 9

. T A Y L ER BROOKE CUNNI NGHAM v

. M ATTHEW JORDAN

MCDANI EL.

Tay l er Bro o k e Cu nningha m ( “ the m othe r”) an d M at th ew J o rd an McDan i el (t h e

“ fat h er”) are t h e paren t s of a m i n o r ch i l d wh o was l eg i t i m at ed p urs u an t t o a 2 0 1 5

co n sen t o rd er i n wh i ch t h e t ri al co urt res o l v ed i s s u es o f cu s t o d y an d ch i l d s u p p o rt

.

In 2 0 1 9

, t h e fat h er fi l ed a “ Pet i t i o n fo r M o d i fi cat i o n o f Cu s t o dy an d Ch i ld Su p p o rt

an d A p pl i cat i o n fo r Ci t at i o n o f Co n t em p t .” In M arch 2 0 2 3

, t he t ri al co urt en t ered an

o rd er wh i ch m o d i fi ed cu st o d y an d ch i l d s u p p o rt an d re s e rv ed t h e is s u e o f at t o rn ey

fees

. In J ul y 2 0 2 3

, t h e tri al co u rt en t ered an award o f at t o rn ey fees t o t he fat h er u n d er

OCGA § 1 9-9 -3 (g ). Th e m ot h er fi led t h i s di rect ap p eal o f t h e J ul y 2 0 2 3 ord er. W e,

h o wev er, l ack ju ri s di ct i o n.

“ Ap p eal s fro m j u d gm en t s o r ord ers i n d i v o rce, a l i m o n y, an d o t h er d o m es t i c

rel at i o n s cas es ” m

u s t be i n i t iat ed b y fi l i n g an ap pl i cat i o n fo r d is cret i o n a ry rev i ew.

OCGA § 5

- 6

- 3 5 ( a ) (2 ), (b ). It i s t ru e t hat a d i rect ap p eal is p ro p er un d er O CGA §

5 -6

- 3 4 ( a ) (1 1 ) fro m al l ju d g m en t s o r ord ers “ i n ch i l d cu s t o d y cas es ” t h at award

,

refu se t o ch an ge, o r m o d i fy ch i l d cu s to d y

, o r o rd ers t h at h o l d o r d ecl i ne t o h o ld

p ers o n s i n co n t em

p t o f ch i l d cu s t o d y o rd ers

. On ap p eal

, t h e m o t h er ch al len g es o n l y

t h e t r i al co u rt ’ s award o f at t orn ey fees t o t h e fat h er. Becau s e n ei t h er cu s to d y n o r

c o nt em p t i s an i s su e o n ap p eal

, t h i s i s n o t a “ cu s t o d y ” cas e wi t h i n t h e m ean i n g o f

OCGA § 5 -6 -3 4 (a) (1 1 ). See V o yl es v. V o yl es

, 3 0 1 Ga. 4 4, 4 5 -4 7 (7 99 S E 2 d 1 6 0 )

(2 0 1 7) (ex p l a i n i n g th at ap p el l at e co u rt s ex am i ne t h e is s u e rai sed o n ap p eal to

d et erm i n e wh et her a p art y i s en t i t l ed t o a d i rect ap p e a l ) ; C a p eh a r t v. Mi t ch el l

, 3 5 8

Ga. Ap p . 8 6 , 8 8 (2 ) (8 5 1 SE2 d 8 4 6 ) (2 0 2 0 ). Rat her, i t rem ai n s a d o m es t ic rel at i on s May 16, 2024c a s e i n wh i ch an ap p l icat i o n fo r d i s cret io n ary ap p eal i s req u ired

. See Da vi d s o n v

.

Ca l la w a y

, 2 7 4 Ga. 8 1 3

, 8 1 4 (5 5 9 SE2 d 7 2 8 ) (2 00 2 ) (“ [I] n al l d o m es t i c rel at i on s

cas es

, a n a p p e a l f

r o m an award o f at t o rn ey fees m u s t co m e t o th i s Co u rt v i a t h e

d i s cret i o n ary

ap peal p ro ced u res s et fo rt h i n OCGA § 5 -6 -3 5 .”).

“ Co m p l i an ce wi t h th e d i s cret i o n ary ap p eal s p ro ced u r e i s ju ri s d i ct i o n al .”

S mo a k v. Dep t

. o

f Hu ma n Res o u r ces

, 2 2 1 Ga. Ap p

. 2 5 7

, 2 5 7 (4 7 1 SE2 d 6 0 ) (1 9 9 6 ).

Th e m o t h e r ’s fai l u re t o fi l e a d is cret i o n ary ap pl i cat io n d ep ri v es t h is Co u rt o f

ju ri s d i ct i o n o v er t h is ap p eal , an d i t i s acco rd i n g l 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 fi c e

, A t la n t a

,

_

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I c e r t if y th 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 tu r e a n d t h 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

. 05/16/2024