THI RD D I VI SI ON

DI LLA RD, J.

M C FA DDEN and RI CKM A N, JJ.

N O T IC E : M otions for r e c ons i de r a tion m us t be

ph y sic a l ly r e ce iv ed i n our c le r k ’s offic e w ithin te n

da y s of the da te of de c is ion to be de e m ed tim e ly file d.

http://w w w .ga a ppe a l s .us /r ule s

M ar ch 23, 2016



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 5 A1 71 6 . W A RREN v . SM ITH.

R I C K M A N , J u d g e.

M ark W arren ap p eal s fro m t h e fi nal o rd er en t ered o n a c o m p l ai n t h e fi l ed

ag ai n s t M el i ss a Sm i t h, s eek i ng a m o d i fi cat i o n o f cu s t o d y o f t h ei r m i n o r ch i l d an d a

m o di fi cat i o n o f ch i l d s u p p o rt

. Pu rs uan t t o a ju d g m en t an d d ecree o f d i v o rce, W arren

an d Sm i t h were award ed jo in t l eg al cu s t od y an d jo i n t p h y s i cal cu s t o dy o f t h e ch i l d.

W arren ch al l en g es t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s fai l u re t o f i n d s uffi ci en t g ro u n d s t o warran t a

ch an ge in cu s t o d y an d t o a w ard hi m p ri m ary p h y s i cal cu s to d y o f t h e ch i l d

, an d h e

co n ten d s t h at t h e tri al co urt ab u s ed i t s d i s cret i o n b y fai l i n g t o m ak e s p eci fi c fi n d i ng s

o f fact an d co ncl u s i o n s o f l aw t o s u pp o rt i t s ju d g m en t aft er he h ad req u es ted t h e co u rtt o d o s o

. 1 Fo r t h e fo l l o wi n g reas o n s

, we v acat e th e ju d g m en t t o t h e ex t en t t h at i t

d en ies W arrren ’ s req u es t fo r m o d i fi cat i on o f cu s to d y

, an d we rem an d t he cas e t o t h e

t ri al co u rt

.

“ A p et i t io n t o ch an g e ch i l d cu s t od y s h ou l d b e g ran ted o n l y i f t h e t ri al co u rt

fi nd s t hat t h ere h as b een a m at eri al ch an g e o f co n d i ti o n affect i n g t h e wel fare o f t h e

c h i l d s i n ce t he l as t cu s t o d y award

. If t h ere h as b een s u ch a ch an g e, t hen t h e c o u r t

s h o u ld bas e i ts n ew cu st o d y d eci s i o n o n t h e b es t i n t eres t o f t h e ch i l d

. ” (Ci t at i o n s an d

p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t e d .) Lyn ch v. Ho r t on

, 3 0 2 Ga. Ap p

. 5 9 7

, 6 0 0 (4 ) (6 9 2 SE2 d 3 4 )

(2 0 1 0); see Da ni el v. Da n i el

, 2 5 0 Ga. Ap p

. 4 82

, 4 8 3 -4 8 4 (2 ) (5 5 2 SE2 d 4 79 ) (2 0 0 1 )

(o n ce a di v o rce d ecree h as been ap p ro v ed an d a p erm an en t ch i l d cu s t o d y award h as

b een en t ered

, t h e t es t fo r us e b y t h e t ri al co u rt i n ch an g e o f cu st od y s u i t s i s wh et h er

t h ere h as b een a ch an g e o f co n d i t i o n affect in g t h e wel fare o f t h e ch i l d ). Th e t ri al co u rt

m ay co n s i d er a v ari et y o f rel ev an t fact o rs i n d et erm i n in g t h e b es t i n t eres t of t h e ch i l d.

See OCGA § 1 9 -9 -3 (a) (3 ).

1 W arren d oes n o t ap peal t h e ju d g m en t t o t h e ex t en t th at i t m o d i f i es ch i ld

s u p p ort

.

2At t h e en d o f t h e b en ch t ri al 2 i n t h i s cas e, W arren ’ s co u n sel s t at ed o n t h e reco rd

t h at h e “ wo u l d l i k e t o as k b efo re t h e ev i d en ce cl o ses th at t h ere b e s p eci fi c fi n d i ng s

o f fact an d co n cl us i on s i n th i s cas e. I d o n ’ t th i nk I h av e ev er as k ed fo r t h at b efo re b ut

I th i n k t h i s wo u l d b e g o o d .” Th e t ri al co u rt rep l i ed : “ Let ’ s h o pe t h i s i s t h e l as t t i m e.

It j u s t m ean s I h av e t o wo rk h ard er b u t y o u h av e t h e ri g h t t o as k .”

Th e t ri al co u rt

, i n i t s ord er, fai l ed t o m ak e an y fi n di n gs o f fact an d co n cl u s i on s

o f l aw co n cern i n g W arren ’ s req u es t fo r m o d i fi cat i o n o f cu s t od y

. In t h at reg ard

, t h e

co u rt m erel y d et erm i n ed : “ T h e Co u rt d o es n o t f i n d s u ffi ci en t g ro u n d s warran t i n g a

ch an ge i n cu s t od y [.] ” In a fo o tn o t e, th e co u rt s t at ed t hat W arren h ad “ req u es t ed t h at

t h e co u rt m ak e wri t t en fi n d in g s o f fact

, b u t s u b s eq u en t l y wi t h d rew th at req ues t b y em ai l m es s ag e recei ved J an u ary 2 7 , 2 0 1 5 , a co py

o f wh i ch is at t ach ed .” Bu t n o s u ch

e-m ai l was at t ach ed t o t h e o rd er, we fo u n d n o s u ch e-m ai l i n o u r rev i ew o f t h e

ap p el l at e reco rd

, an d i n h i s ap p eal b ri ef, W arren den ies h av i n g w it hd rawn h i s req u es t

fo r fi n di n g s o f fact an d co n cl u s i o n s o f l aw.

2 S e e O CGA § 19 -9 -3 (a) (2 ) (“ Th e ju d g e h eari n g t he i s s u e of cu s t o d y s h a l l

m ak e a d et erm i n at i on o f cu s t o d y o f a ch i l d an d su ch m at t er s h al l n ot b e d eci d ed b y

a ju ry .”).

3Pu rs uan t to Ch ap t er 9 of Ti tl e 1 9 o f th e Offi ci a l C o d e o f G eo rg i a wh i ch

g o v ern s ch i l d cu s t o d y p ro ceed in g s , i n al l cas es i n wh i ch th e cu s t od y o f an y ch i l d i s

at i ss u e b et ween t h e p aren t s , t h e fo l l o wi n g p ert i n en tl y ap p l i es :

If req u es t ed b y an y p art y o n o r b e f ore t he cl o s e o f ev i d en ce in a

co n t es ted h eari n g

, th e p erm an e n t co urt o rd er award i ng ch i ld cu s t o d y

s h a l l s et fo rt h s p eci f

i c f i n d i n g s o f fact as to t h e bas i s fo r t h e j u d ge’ s

d e c i s i o n i n m ak in g an award o f cu s to d y i n cl u d i n g an y rel ev an t fact o r

rel i ed u p o n b y t he ju d g e as s et fo rt h i n p arag rap h (3 ) o f t h i s s u b s ect i o n

.

Su ch o rd er s h al l s et fo rt h i n d et ai l w h y t h e co u rt award ed cu s t o d y i n th e

m an n er s et fo rt h i n t h e o rd er. . . .

(Em p h as i s s u p p l i ed .) OCGA § 1 9 -9 -3 (a) ( 8 )

. M o r e o v er, p u rs u an t t o OCGA §

9

- 1 1

- 5 2 (a) o f t he Ci v i l Pract i ce Act

, “ i n al l no n ju ry tri al s i n co u rt s o f reco rd

, t h e

co u rt sh a l l u p o n req u es t o f an y p art y m ad e p ri o r t o su ch ru l i n g

, fi n d t h e fact s

s p eci al l y an d s h al l s t at e s ep arat el y i t s co n cl u si o n s o f l aw.” (Em p h as i s s u p p l i ed .) Th e

Su p rem e Co u rt o f Geo rg i a h as h el d t h at , fo r t he p u rp o s es o f s tat u t o ry co n s t ru ct i o n,

t h e wo rd “ s h al l” i s t o b e g en eral l y co n s tru ed as a m an d at ory d i rect i v e. See Lewi s v.

S t a t e

, 28 3 Ga. 1 91

, 1 94 (3 ) (6 5 7 SE2 d 85 4 ) (2 0 08 ); S

. Cr es cen t News

p ap er s L. P. v.

Do r sey

, 2 6 9 Ga. 4 1

, 4 5 (3 ) (4 9 7 SE2 d 3 6 0 ) (1 9 9 8 ); S t at e v. Hen d er s o n

, 26 3 Ga. 5 0 8,

5 1 0 (4 3 6 SE2 d 2 0 9) (1 9 9 3 ) (“ s h al l ” is g en eral l y co n s t ru ed as a m an d at o ry d i rect i v e);

an d s e e B o n ds v. Bo n d

s

, 2 4 1 Ga. Ap p

. 37 8 (1 ) (5 2 7 SE2 d 21 5 ) (1 9 9 9 ) (p u rs u an t to

4OCGA § 9 -1 1 -5 2 (a), en t ry o f fi n d i n gs o f fact are m an d at o ry u p on req ue s t b y a

p art y ); D o e v

. C

ha mb er s

, 1 8 8 Ga. Ap p. 8 7 9

, 8 8 1 (2 ) (3 7 4 SE2 d 75 8 ) (1 9 8 8 )

(d et erm i n i n g t h at OCGA § 9-1 1 -5 2 ( a ) “ r eq ui r es s ep arat e s p eci fi c fi n d i ng s o f fact an d

co n cl u s i o n s o f l aw i n n o n -ju ry t ri al s o n ly u p o n req u es t o f an y p art y m ad e p ri o r to

s u ch ru l i n g [.] ”) (p u n ct u at i o n o m i t ted ; em p h as i s s u pp l i ed ).

In th i s cas e, t h e ap p el l at e reco rd cl earl y refl ect s th at W arren req u es ted t h e t ri al

co u rt t o m ak e fi n d i n g s o f fact an d co n cl us i o ns o f l aw, an d t he l aw m an dat es t h at h e

w as en t i t l ed t o t h em

. “ Fi n d i n g s o f fact an d co n cl us i o n s o f law en ab l e t h e p art i es t o

s p eci fy th e erro rs th e t ri al co u rt p u rp o rt ed l y m ad e, an d en ab l e th e ap p el l at e co u rt to

rev i ew t h e ju d g m en t ad eq uat el y an d p ro m p t l y .” (Ci t at i o n o m i t t ed .) Gr a n t h a m v.

Gr a nt h a m

, 26 9 Ga. 4 1 3

, 4 1 4 (1 ) (4 99 SE2 d 6 7) (1 9 9 8 ). W arre n d e n i es t h at h e

wi t h d rew h i s req u es t

, an d th e re c o rd fai l s to s h o w o t h erwi s e. Th erefo re, we h ereb y

v acat e t h e t ri al c o u r t ’s ju d g m en t t o t h e ex t en t i t d en i es W arren ’ s req u es t fo r a

m o di fi cat i o n of cu s to dy

, a n d we rem an d t h e cas e t o t he tri al co u rt fo r fu rt h er

p ro ceed in g s n o t in co n s i s ten t wi t h t h i s op i n i o n

. See g en eral l y i d

. (i n ch i l d cu s t o dy

d i s p u t e, ju d g m en t o f t h e t ri al co u rt v acat ed an d cas e rem an ded wh ere ap p el l an t t i m el y

p et i t i o n ed t h e t ri al co u rt p urs u an t t o O CGA § 9 -1 1 -5 2 t o p ro v i d e fi n d in g s o f fact an d

co n cl u s i o n s o f l aw an d t ri a l c o u rt fai l ed t o p ro v i d e su ch ). Co m p are W ei cker t v.

5W

ei cker t

, 2 6 8 Ga. Ap p. 62 4

, 6 2 9 (2 ) (6 0 2 SE2 d 3 3 7 ) (2 0 04 ) (i n a ch i l d c u s t o dy

m o di fi cat i o n a c t i o n

, t h e tri al co u rt was n o t req u i red t o i n cl u de s p eci fi c fi nd i n g s o f

fact i n i t s wri tt en o rd er b e c a u s e n ei t h er p art y req ues t ed t h at t h e co u rt d o s o

, as

p ro v id ed i n OCGA § 9 -1 1 -5 2 (a)); Do e , 1 8 8 Ga. Ap p

. at 8 7 9 (2 ).

Ju d g men t a f f i r med i n p a r t

, va ca ted i n p a r t

, a nd ca s e r ema n d

ed

. Di l l a r d a n d

McFa d den , JJ., co n cu r

.

6