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

De c id e d: Oc to b e r 5 , 2 0 1 5

S 1 5 F 1 2 5 4 . MCLENDON v . MCLENDON.

MELTON, Ju stic e

.

F o llo win g th e tria l c o u rt’s d e n ia l o f h e r m o tio n fo r a n e w tria l re g a rd in g

h e r d iv o rc e fro m Ja so n Mc Le n d on (Hu sb a nd ), Am a n da M c Le n d on (Wife ) file d

a n a p p lic a tio n fo r disc re tio n a ry a p p e a l. P u rsu a n t to Su p re m e C o u rt Ru le 3 4

, we

g ra n te d Wife ’s a

p p lic a tio n a n d p o se d th e fo llo win g q u e stio n s: (1 ) Did th e tria l

c o u rt c o m m it re v e rsib le e rro r in its d e te rm in a tio n s o n c u sto d y , c h ild su p p o rt, o r

a n y o th e r issu e a d d re sse d in th e p a rtie s’ F in a l Ju d g m e n t a nd De c re e o f

Div orc e ? ; (2 ) Did th e tria l c o u rt e rr in a wa rd in g a tto rn e y fe e s u n d e r OCGA §

9 -1 5 -1 4 (b ), wh e re it a c tu a lly g ra n te d pa rt o f th e re lie f so u g h t in Wife ’s m o tio n

fo r n e w tria l/m o tio n fo r re c on sid e ra tio n ? F o r t h e r e a so n s se t fo rth b e lo w, we

a ffirm

.

1

. Th e re c ord sh o w s t h a t Wife a nd Hu sb a n d we re d iv o rc e d by a fin a l

d e c re e e n te re d in Ma y of 2 0 1 3

. Th e p a rtie s h a v e o n e m in o r c h ild

, a n d th e d e c re ea wa rd s p rim a ry p h y sic a l c u sto d y to Hu sb a n d

, with jo in t le g a l c u sto d y

. Wife ha s

v isita tio n e v e ry oth e r w e e k e nd a n d o n so m e we e kn ig h ts. Du rin g th e su m m e r

m o n th s , Wife h a s p rim a ry c u sto dy

, a n d Hu sb a nd h a s v isita tio n rig h ts. Wife is

re q u ire d to p a y Hu sb a n d $ 9 4 0 .8 9 p e r m o n th d u rin g th e sc h o o l y e a r, a nd

, in th e

su m m e r, n o c h ild su p p o rt is p a id b y e ith e r p a rty

. F ollo win g e n try o f th e d e c re e ,

Wife file d a mo t i o n f

o r ne w tria l a n d /o r m o tio n fo r re c o nsid e ra tio n

. In h e r

writte n mo t i o n , W ife ra ise d issu e s re g ard in g c u sto d y

. Du rin g th e h e a rin g o n

Wife ’s m o tio n , sh e o ra lly ra ise d issu e s re g a rd in g ite m s o f p e rso n a l p ro p e rty sh e

h a d le ft in Hu sb a n d ’ s h o m e a n d c e rta in issu e s with th e p a re n tin g p la n

. In

re sp o n se , th e tria l c o u rt issu e d a n o rd e r d e n y in g Wife ’s m o tio n with re g a rd to

c u sto d y a n d a su p p le m e n ta l ord e r m o d ify in g th e p ro pe rty d iv isio n an d p are n tin g

p l a n

. A l s o , p u rsu a nt to OCGA 9 -1 5 -1 4 (b ), th e tria l c o u rt a wa rd e d

a p p ro x im a te ly $ 4 ,0 0 0 in a tto rn e y fe e s to Hu sb a n d , fin d in g th a t th e m o tio n fo r

n e w tria l wa s b ro u g h t, a t le a s t i n p a rt, fo r p u rp ose s o f d e la y

. Wife n o w

c h a lle ng e s th e se ru lin g s.

2

. Wife c o nte n d s th a t th e tria l c o u rt e r r e d b y a b a tin g th e c h ild su p p ort

o b lig a tio n o f b o th p a re nts d u rin g su m m e r m o n th s with ou t c o mp l y i n g with

OCGA § 1 9 -6 -1 5 (c ) (2 ) (E). A re v ie w o f th e re c ord

, h owe v e r, sh o ws th a t Wife

2h a s wa iv e d th is c la im fo r p urp o se s o f a

p p e a l.

It is w e ll-se ttle d th a t “ a m o tio n fo r ne w tria l, b u t n o t a m o tio n to se t a sid e ,

is a p ro p e r m e a ns b y w h ic h th e m o v a n t c a n c om p la in o f th e tria l c o u rt' s fa ilu re

to c o m p ly with th e c h ild su pp o rt g u id e lin e s in OCGA § 1 9

– 6 –1 5, in c lu d in g th e

fa ilu re to m a k e fin din g s re q u ire d th e re b y .” (Cita tio n o m itte d

. ) K u r ia tn y k v

.

Ku ria tn y k

, 2 8 6 Ga

. 5 8 9

, 5 9 1 (2 ) (6 9 0 S E2 d 3 9 7 ) (2 01 0). In th is c a se , ho we ve r,

Wife d id n o t ra ise a ny c la im re g a rd in g th e de v ia tio n in h e r m o tio n fo r n e w tria l,

a n d th e tria l c o u rt d id n o t re a c h th is issu e in e ith e r o f its two o rd e rs o n Wife ’s

m o tio n fo r n e w tria l. A s a r e s u lt, Wife h a s w a iv e d ou r re v ie w o f th is issu e

.

Mc Ca rth y v . Ash m e nt-Mc Ca rth y , 2 9 5 Ga

. 2 3 1 (2 ) (7 5 8 S E 2 d 3 0 6 ) (2 01 4 ).

3

. Wife a rg u e s th a t th e tria l c o u rt fa ile d to a p p ro p ria te ly c o n sid e r th e b e st

in te re sts o f th e p a rtie s’ m in o r c h ild wh e n it a wa rd e d p rim a ry c u sto d y to

Hu sb a nd

. S p e c ific a lly

, Wife c o n te n d s th a t th e tria l c ou rt b a se d its d e te rm in a tio n

so le ly o n its d e sire to p u n ish Wife fo r a n a c t o f a d ulte ry

. T h e re c o rd b e lie s th is

c o n te n tio n

.

As a n in itia l m a tte r, it m

u st b e e m p h a siz e d th a t,

[w] h e r e th e tria l c o u rt h a s e x e rc ise d its d isc re tio n a nd a wa rd e d

c u sto dy o f c h ild re n to on e fit p a re n t o v e r th e o th e r f i t p a r e nt, th is

C o u r t w i ll n o t in te rfe re with th a t d e c isio n u n le ss th e e v id e n c e

3sh o ws th e tria l c o u r t c l e a rly a b u se d its d isc re tio n

. Urq u h a rt v

. Urq u h a rt, 27 2 Ga

. 5 4 8 (1 ) (5 3 3 S E2 d 8 0) (2 0 0 0 ). Wh e re th e re is

a n y e v id e n c e to su p p o rt th e d e c isio n o f th e tria l c o u rt, th is Co u rt

c a n n o t sa y th e re wa s a n a

b u se o f d isc re tio n

. Ja c k so n v

. Ja c k so n , 2 3 0

Ga . 4 9 9 , 5 00 (1 9 7 S E2 d 7 05 ) (1 9 7 3 ).

We lc h v

. We lc h , 2 7 7 Ga . 8 0 8 , 8 0 9 (5 9 6 S E2 d 1 3 4 ) (2 0 04 ).

A re v ie w o f th e tria l c o u rt’s o rd e rs in th is ma t te r in d ic a te th a t it wa s

g u id e d b y a c o n sid e ra tio n o f th e b e st in te re sts of th e p artie s’ m in or c h ild

. Th e

tria l c o u rt fo u n d th a t Wife la c k e d c re d ib ility in h e r de sc r i p t io n o f h e r

re la tio nsh ip w ith th e c hild a n d th a t sh e h a d m a d e a se rie s o f p oo r ju d gm e n ts th a t

a d v e rse ly a ffe c te d h e r re l a t i o n s h ip with th e c h ild

. Co ntra ry to Wife ’s a rg u m e n ts,

it is e vid e n t th a t th e tria l c o u rt c a r e f u l l y we ig h e d th e e v id e nc e in m a k in g a

c u sto d y d e c isio n a n d it wa s n o t m e re ly m o tiv a te d to p u n ish Wife

.

4

. Wife c o n te n d s t h a t t h e tria l c ou rt e rre d b y a wa rd in g a tto rn e y fe e s to

Hu sb a nd

, m a in ta in in g th a t, b e c a u se th e tria l c o u rt g ra n te d so m e o f Wife ’s

re q u e ste d re lie f, th e a wa rd o f a n y fe e s wa s in a p p ro p ria te . We d isa g re e

.

OCGA § 9 -1 5 -1 4 (b ) p ro v id e s:

Th e c o u rt m a

y a sse ss re a so n a

b le a n d n e c e ssa ry a tto rn e y ’s fe e s a n d

e x p e n se s o f litig a tio n in a n y c iv i l a c tio n in a n y c o u rt o f re c o rd if,

u p o n th e m otio n o f a n y p a rty o r th e c o urt itse lf, it fin d s th a t a n

a tto rn e y o r p a rty b ro u g ht o r d e fe n d e d a n a c tio n , o r an y p a rt th e re o

f

, th a t la c ke d su b sta n tia l ju stific a tio n o r th a t th e a c tio n , o r a n y p a rt

4th e re o

f

, wa s in te rp o se d fo r d e la y o r h a ra ssm e n t, or if it fin ds th a t a n

a tto rn e y or p a rty u n n e c e ssa rily e x p a n d e d th e p ro c e e d in g b y o th e r im p ro p e r c o n d u c t, in c lu d in g , b ut n o t lim ite d to

, a b u se s of d isc o v e ry

p ro c e du re s a v a ilab le u n d e r Ch a p te r 11 o f th i s t i t le

, th e “ Ge o rg ia

Ci v i l P r a c tic e A c t.” As u se d in th is Co d e se c tio n , “ la c k e d

su b sta n tia l j u s t i f

i c a t i o n ” m e a n s s u b s t a n t i a l l y f r i v o l o u s , s u

b s t a n t i a lly

g ro u n d le ss, o r su b sta n tia lly v e x a tio u s.

(Em p h a sis su pp lie d .)

A re v ie w of th e re c o rd sh o ws th a t, a t th e h e a rin g o n Wife ’ s m o tio n fo r

n e w tria l, issu e s we re ra ise d th a t we re n o t in c lu d e d in Wife ’s m o tio n

.

S p e c ific a lly

, th e p a rt ie s re q u e ste d th a t c h a n g e s b e m a d e to th e p a re n tin g p la n

a n d th a t Wife be a wa rd e d a d d it i o n al i te m s o f p e rso na l p ro p e rty su c h a s

c o o k b o o k s a n d sm a ll a

p p lia n c e s f

r o m th e m a rita l h o m e

. T h e tria l c o urt

u ltim a te ly g ra n te d th e s e r e q u e sts. With re g a rd to th e a rg u m e n ts ra ise d in th e

writte n m o tio n fo r n e w tria l, h o we ve r, th e tria l c o u rt d e te rm in e d th a t th e y la c k e d

s u bsta n tia l ju stific a tio n a n d we re in te rp ose d

, a t le a st in p art, to d e la y t h e

p a y m e n t o f c h ild su p p o rt a n d o th e r su m s. Th e c la im s wh ic h fo rm e d th e b a sis fo r

th e tria l c o u rt’s a

wa rd o f fe e s, th e re fo re , we re e ntire ly se p a ra te fro m th e la te r

c la im s o n wh ic h Wife wa s g ra n te d so m e re lie f b y th e tria l c o u rt. On th is b a sis,

th e tria l c o u rt p ro p e rly im p o se d fe e s in lin e with th e sta tu te

.

Co n tra ry to Wife ’ s c o n te n tio n s, th is c a se is d istin g uish a b le fro m F o x

5Ko ru c u v

. Ko ru c u , 27 9 Ga

. 76 9

, 7 7 0 (2 ) (6 21 SE2 d 4 6 0 ) (2 0 0 5 ). In th a t c a se ,

we fo u n d th a t th e wife

file d a sin g le two -p a g e b rie f re q u e stin g a n e w tri a l, o r, in th e

a lte rn a tiv e , re c o n sid e ra tio n o f th e fin a l ju d g m e n t. Th e u n su c c e ssfu l

p o rtio n o f th e m o tio n a sk in g fo r a n e w tria l c o u ld n o t h a v e c a u se d sig n ific a ntly m o re “ u n n e c e ssa ry e xp e n se ” to h u sb a nd th an th a t
wh ic h re su lte d fro m th e su c c e ssfu l p o rtio n o f th e m o tio n a sk in g fo r

re c o n sid e ra tio n of th e fin a l ju d g m e n t. It i s illo g ic a l to h o ld th a t a

m o tio n fo r a n e w tria l is friv o lo u s wh ile sim u lta n e o u sly g ra n tin g a

m o tio n fo r re c o n sid e ra tio n p o sin g sim ila r a rg u m e n ts.

Id

. In th is c a se , by c o ntra st

, th e tria l c o u rt fo un d th a t th e e n tire ty o f Wife ’s

writte n m o tio n la c k e d su b sta n tia l ju stific a tio n , a n d it n o te d th a t th e filin g o f th is

m o tio n e n g e n d e re d a n “ e m a il wa r” b e twe e n th e p a rtie s th a t to o k u p su b sta n tia l

tim e a n d g e n e ra te d la rg e a tto rn e y fe e s. 1 Th e t ria l c ou rt d id n o t a bu se its

d isc re tio n in a wa rd in g a tto rn e y fe e s to Hu sb a n d

.

5

. In se v e ra l a d d itio n a l e n u m e ra tio n s, Wife : (a ) c h a lle n g e s a p ortio n o f th e

d e c re e wh ic h re q u ire s th e p a rtie s to file se pa ra te fe de ra l ta x re tu rn s in 2 0 1 2 ; (b )

a rg u e s th a t th e re wa s n o e v id e n c e su p p o r t i n g a fin d in g th a t sh e a g re e d th a t

c e rta in m o rtg a g e p a y m e n ts wo u ld n ot b e d isc h a rg e a b le in b a n k ru ptc y ; a n d (c )

1 Th e tria l c o u rt re c o g n iz e d th a t, to a n e x te n t, th is e m a il b a ttle wa s th e fa u lt

o f b o th p a rtie s, a n d

, a c c o r d i n g l y , i t re d u c e d th e a m ou nt o f fe e s re q u e ste d b y Hu sb a nd a

sig n ific a n t a m o u n t.

6c o n te n d s th a t th e de c re e i s t o o v a g u e to e nfo rc e

. T h e re c o rd sh o ws, ho we ve r,

th a t Wife ra ise d no ne of th e se i s s u e s in h e r writte n m o tio n fo r n e w tria l. Wife

a lso fa ile d to ra ise a n y o f th e se a rg u m e n ts a t th e h e a rin g o n th e m otio n fo r n e w

tria l, d e sp ite th e fa c t th a t th e tria l c o u rt c on sid e re d a d d itio n a l a rg u m e n ts b y Wife

a t th a t tim e

. 2 Un d e r th e se c irc u m sta n c e s, Wife h a s wa iv e d th e rig h t to ra ise th e se

c o n te n tio n s fo r th e first tim e o n a p p e a l. S e e Mc Ca rth y , su p ra a t 2 33 (2 ). In a n y

e v e n t, W ife ’s c o nte n tio ns a p p e a r to la c k a n y m e rit, an d to th e e x te n t th a t sh e

q u e stio n s th e d e ta ils o f h e r ob l i g a tio n s u n d e r th e a gre e m e n t, sh e m a y file a

m o tio n fo r c la rific a tio n with th e tria l c o urt.

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

2 Th e re c o rd in d ic a te s th a t, p rio r to th e issu a n c e o f th e de c re e , Wife n e v e r

re sp o n d e d to a re q u e st b y th e tria l c o u r t to re v ie w th e p ro p e rty d iv isio n

. Ev e n

so , th e tria l c o u rt a llo w e d Wife to ta k e issu e with it a t th e h e a rin g on th e m o tio n fo r n e w tria l.

7