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 3 , 2 0 1 4

S 1 4A0 8 35 . COXWELL v

. COXWELL.

HUNS T EIN, Ju stic e

.

In th is p e n d in g div o rc e a c tio n

, we g ra n te d t h e a p p l i c atio n fo r in te rlo c u to ry

a p p e a l by Ap p e lla n t Ja m e s L

. Co x we ll (Hu sb a n d), wh o c h a lle n g e s th e tria l

c o u rt’s d e n ia l o f his mo t i o n to e n fo rc e a lo st an te nu ptia l a g re e m e n t b e twe e n

Hu sb a n d a n d Ap p e lle e Sa n d ra F a y e C o x we ll (Wife ). We h o ld th a t th e

a p p ro p ria te sta n d a rd o f p ro of fo r e sta b lish in g th e c o n te n ts o f a lo st an te n u p tia l

a g re e m e n t is th e p re p o n d e ra n c e of th e e v id e n c e sta n d a rd

. Utiliz in g th is

sta n d a rd

, we c o n c lu d e th a t th e tria l c ou rt did no t e rr in h o ld in g th a t Hu sb a n d

fa ile d to p ro v e th e te rm s o f th e lo st a n te n u p tia l a g re e m e n t

, a n d w e th e re fo re

a ffirm

.

Hu sb a n d a n d Wife m a rrie d in 19 95

, a n d W ife file d a c om pla in t fo r

d iv o rc e in 2 0 1 2

. H u s b a n d file d a m otio n to e n fo rc e th e p a rtie s’ an te n u p tia l

a g re e m e n t, wh ic h bo th p a rt i e s a g re e is v a lid a n d in fo rc e

. Ne ith e r p a rty

,h o we v e r, h a s b e e n a b le to lo c a te th e a g re e m e n t, in e ith e r its orig in a l o r a n y o th e r

fo rm

, a n d th e ir d isp u te th u s c e n te rs o n th e a g re e m e n t’s te rm s. Fo r th is re a so n

,

in h is m o tio n to e n fo rc e

, H u sb an d a lso re q u e ste d e n try o f a d e cl a r a to ry

ju d g m e n t e sta

b lish in g th e te rm s o f th e lo st a n te nu p tia l a g re e m e n t.

Afte r c on d u c t i ng a th re e -d a y h e a rin g

, a t wh ic h th e p a rtie s b oth te stifie d

a n d p re se nte d e v id e nc e in su pp o rt o f th e ir re sp e c t i v e r ec o lle c tio n s o f th e

a g re e m e n t’s te rm s, th e tria l c o u rt d e n ie d Hu sb an d ’s m o tio n

. Th e c o u rt fo u n d

th a t n e ith e r p a r t y h a d in te n tio n a lly d e stro y e d

, h id d e n

, o r fa ile d to p ro du c e th e

a n te n u p tia l a g re e m e n t. T h e c o u rt a lso fo u n d th a t b o th pa rtie s h a d te stifie d

tru th fu lly

, e a c h h o n e stly b e lie v in g th a t th e ir o wn re sp e c tiv e re c o lle c tio n o f th e

t e rm s o f th e a nte n u ptia l a g re e m e n t wa s c o rre c t. As a re su lt o f th e se f i n d i n g s

,

a n d b a se d o n t h e r e c o rd be fo re it, th e c ou rt d e te rm in e d th a t it wa s u n a b le to

a sc e rta in th e a g re e m e n t’s te rm s a n d th a t, th e re fo re

, it c ou ld n o t e n fo rc e th e

a g re e m e n t.

1

. Ou r re v ie w o f th e tria l c o u rt’s d e c isio n m u st b e gin b y id e n tify in g th e

sta n d a rd o f p ro o f ne c e ssa ry fo r e sta b lis h i n g t h e c o n te n ts o f a lo st an te n u p tia l

a g re e m e n t. Th ou gh Wife u rg e s u s to a d o p t th e c le a r a n d c o n v in c in g e v id e n c e

sta n d a rd

, we c o n c lu d e th a t p re p o n d e ra n c e o f th e e v id e n c e is th e p ro p e r sta n d ard

.

2A d iv o rc e a c tio n is a c iv il pro c e e d in g

, a n d th e Ge o rg ia Co de sa y s th a t “ i n a ll

c iv il p ro c e e d in g s, a pre p o nd e ra n c e o f e v id e n c e sh a ll b e c o n sid e re d su ffic ie n t to

p r o d u ce me n ta l c o n v ic tio n .” OCGA § 2 4 -1 4 -3

. S e e a lso OCGA § 1 9 -5 -8

(“ [t] he sa m e ru le s o f p le a din g a n d p ra c tic e a p plic a b le to o rd in a ry c iv il a c tio n s

sh a ll a p p ly to a c tio n s fo r d iv o rc e

. . . , e x c e pt a s o th e rwise sp e c ific a lly p ro v id e d

in th is c h a

p te r” ). In a d d itio n

, th e sp e c ific p ro visio n in o u r n e wly re v ise d

e v id e n c e c od e a d d re ssin g th e a d m issib ility of se c on da ry e vid e n c e o f lo st

d o c u m e nts c o n ta in s n o re fe re n c e to a h e ig h te n e d sta nd a rd o f p ro o f. Se e OCGA

§ 2 4 -1 0 -1 0 0 4 ; se e a lso Je ffe rso n P ilo t F ire & Ca s. Co

. v

. P ric k e tt, 1 7 6 Ga

. Ap p

.

8 1 0

, 8 12 (3 3 8 S E2 d 1 9 ) (1 9 8 5 ) (o n c e e x iste n c e o f lo st d o c u m e nt e sta b lish e d

, its

c o n te n ts a re “ su bje c t to p ro o f b y c o m p e t e n t e v id e n c e ” ). Mo re ov e r, we h a v e

n e v e r a pp lie d a h e ig h te n e d sta n d a rd o f p ro o f to e sta b lish th e v a lid i t y o f a n

a n te n u p tia l a g re e m e n t. S e e

, e .g

., D o v e v

. Do v e

, 2 8 5 Ga

. 6 4 7 (5 ) (6 8 0 S E2 d

8 3 9 ) (2 0 0 9 ) (d isc u ssin g c rite ria fo r a sse ssin g e n fo rc e a b ility o f an te n u p tia l

a g re e m e n ts with o u t m e n tio n o f h e ig h te n e d s ta n da rd o f p ro o f); S c h e re r v

.

S c h e re r, 2 4 9 Ga . 6 3 5 (3 ) (2 9 2 S E2 d 66 2) (1 9 8 2 ) (se m in a l c a se th a t p re sc rib e d

su c h c rite ria

, wh ic h m a d e n o m e n tio n o f h e ig h te n e d sta n da rd o f p ro o f). We th u s

fin d n o c o m

p e llin g b a sis fo r a d o p tin g a h e ig h te ne d s t a n d a r d o f p ro o f a n d

3c o n c lu d e th a t th e a p p ro pria te sta n da rd to e sta b lish th e c o nt e nts of a lo st

a n te n u p tia l a g re e m e n t is th e p re p o n d e ra n c e o f th e e vid e n c e sta n d a rd

.

2

. T h e tria l c ou rt h e re d id a p p ly th e p re p o n d e ra n c e o f th e e v id e n c e

sta n d a rd in d e te rm in in g th a t Hu sb a n d h a d fa ile d to p ro v e th e te rm s o f th e

a n te n u p tia l a g re e m e n t. We n o w a sse ss wh e th e r th e tria l c o u rt c orre c tly a p p lie d

th is sta n d a rd to th e e vid e n c e p re se n te d

. In so d o in g

, we a re re q u ire d to a ffirm

th e tria l c o u rt’s fa c tu a l fin d in gs u n le ss th e y a re c le a rly e rro n e o u s a n d to g iv e d u e

d e fe re n c e to its d e te rm in a tio ns o n witn e ss c re d ib ility

. La n g le y v. La ng le y

, 2 7 9

Ga . 3 74 (2 ) (6 1 3 S E2 d 6 1 4 ) (2 0 0 5 ).

Ha v in g re v ie we d th e re c o rd

, we fin d n o c le a r e rro r in th e t r i a l c o u rt’s

fin d in g th a t ne ith e r pa rty in te n tio n a lly d e str o y e d o r se c re te d th e an te n u p tia l

a g re e m e n t. T h e h e a rin g te stim o n y sh o we d th a t b o th p a rtie s we re g iv e n a c o p y

o f th e a g re e m e n t a fte r it wa s sig n e d a n d th a t o n e o f th o se c o p ie s wa s p u t in a file

c a b in e t th a t u ltim a te ly e n d e d u p a t th e Co b b Co u n ty re sid e nc e wh e re W ife liv e d

a fte r t h e p a r t i e s se p a ra te d

. Wife te stifie d th a t sh e la st sa w th e file fo ld e r in

wh ic h th e a g re e m e n t wa s sto re d in 2 0 0 3; se a rc h e d th e file c a b in e t a n d th e re st

o f th e Co b b Co u n ty re sid e n c e fo r th e d o c u m e n t, to n o a v a il; a nd m a d e o th e r –

u ltim a te ly u n su c c e ssfu l – e ffo rts to lo c a te th e d o c u m e n t, in c lu d in g a tte m p tin g

4to c o n ta c t th e la wy e r wh o d ra fte d it a n d c o n ta c tin g th e c o u n ty c o u rt to d e te rm in e

wh e th e r it m ig ht h a v e b e e n re c o rd e d

. H u sb a n d lik e wise te stifie d th a t h e h a d

se a rc h ed t h e Co bb Co un ty re sid e n c e

, c h e c k e d th e c on te nts o f h is sa fe d e p o sit

b o x

, a tte m

p te d to c o n ta c t th e d ra ftin g a tto rn e y

, a n d m a d e in qu irie s re g ard in g its

p o ssib le re c o rd a tio n

. Th e tria l ju d g e a sk e d b o th p a rtie s, wh ile th e y we re u n d e r

o a th

, wh e th e r th e y h a d d e s t r o y e d

, h id d e n, o r se c re te d th e a g re e m e n t a nd wh e th e r

th e y k n e w w h e r e a c o p y c o u ld b e fo un d, a n d b o th p a rtie s an swe re d

u n e q u iv o c a lly in th e n e g a tiv e

. Bo th in a n n o u nc in g its ru lin g fro m th e b e n c h a n d

in its o rd e r d e ny in g Hu sb a n d ’s m otio n, th e tria l c o u rt n o te d its b e lie f th a t b o th

p a rtie s h a d te stifie d tru th fu lly a n d th a t n e ith e r p arty h a d in te n tio n a lly c a u se d th e

lo ss or d e stru c tio n of th e do c um e n t. G iv e n ou r d u ty to d e fe r to th e tria l c o u rt’s

c re d ib ility de te rm in a tio n s, w e c a n n ot d istu rb its fin d in g in th is re g a rd

. S e e

La n g le y , 2 7 9 Ga . a t 3 7 7

.

As to th e c o n te n ts o f th e a g re e m e n t, th e u n d isp u te d e v id e n c e sh o w e d th a t

n e ith e r p a rty h a d re v ie we d th e a g r e e me n t fo r m a n y y e a rs, a n d th e p a rtie s’

te stim o n y in d ic a te d th a t n e ith e r p a rty h a d re a d th e do c u m e nt w ith p a rtic ula r c a re

e v e n a t th e tim e o f its e x e c u tio n

. Hu sb a n d te stifie d th a t h e m a d e c le a r to Wife

,

in d isc u ssin g th e a

n te n u p tia l a g re e m e n t p rio r to its e x e c utio n

, th a t in th e e v e n t

5o f d iv o rc e h e d id n o t wa nt to b e o b lig a te d fo r a lim o n y a n d wish e d to re ta in fu ll

o wn e rsh ip o f a ll p ro p e rtie s a n d in v e stm e n ts title d in h is n a m e

, in c lu d in g th ose

a c q u ire d d u rin g th e m a

rria g e

. W ife

, o n th e o th e r h a n d

, t estifie d th a t th e

a g re e m e n t d e a lt p rim a rily with p re -m a rita l pro p e rty

, th a t sh e a ssu m e d a ll p o stm a rita l p ro p e rty wo u ld b e “ c o mmu n ity ” p ro p e rty re g a rd le ss o f le g a l title

, a n d

th a t sh e d id n o t re c a ll a lim o n y b e in g a p a rt o f th e a g re e m e n t.

F a c e d with th is c o n flic tin g te stim o n y

, th e t ria l c o urt a g a in e x p re ssly fo u n d

th a t bo th p a rtie s h o n e stly b e lie v e d in th e tru th o f th e ir re sp e c tiv e p o sitio n s a n d

o p in e d th a t th e p a rtie s ’ d iv e rg e n t re c o lle c tio n s we re a ttrib u ta ble to fa u lty

m e m o rie s, th e p a ssa g e o f tim e

, a n d th e p o we r o f o th e rs’ su g g e stiv e ne ss. Un d e r

th e s e c irc u m sta n c e s, th e tria l c o u rt d e te rm in e d th a t H u sb a n d h a d no t m e t h is

b u rd e n to p ro v e th e a gre e m e n t’s te rm s b y a p re p o n d e ra n c e o f th e e v id e n c e

.

Ag a in

, we m

u st de f e r t o t h e t r i a l c o u r t ’ s a sse ssm e n t o f th e p a rtie s’

c re d ib ility o n th e issu e o f th e a gre e m e n t’s c o n te nts. S e e La n g le y

, 27 9 G a. a t

3 7 7

.

P re p o n d e ra n c e o f e v id e n c e m e a n s “ th a t su p e rio r we ig ht o f e v id e n c e

u p o n th e issu e s in v o lv e d

, wh ic h

, wh ile no t e n o u g h to fre e th e m in d

w h o l l y fro m a re a so n a

b le d o u b t, is y e t su ffic ie n t to in c lin e a

re a so n a b le a n d im

p a rtia l m in d to o n e sid e o f th e issu e ra th e r th a n to

th e o th e r.”

6(Cita tio n s o m itte d .) Esta te o f P a tte rso n v

. Fu lto n -De Ka lb Ho sp

. Au th

., 2 3 3 Ga

.

Ap p

. 7 0 6

, 7 08 (2 ) (5 0 5 S E2 d 2 3 2 ) (1 9 9 8 ). Giv e n th e c o urt’s in a b ility to a c c e p t

Hu sb a nd ’s re c o lle c tio n a s m o re c re dib le th a n Wife ’s, th e c o u rt pro p e rly fo u n d

th a t Hu sb a

n d ha d fa ile d to c a rry h is bu r d e n t o p ro ve th e c o nte n ts o f th e

a n te n u p tia l a g re e m en t b y a p re p o n d e ra n c e of th e e v id e n c e

. Ac c ord in g ly

, th e

tria l c o u rt p ro pe rly d e n ie d h is m o tio n to e n fo rc e , and we a ffirm

.

Ju d g m e n t a ffirm e d . All th e Ju stic e s c o nc u r.

7