THI RD DI VI SI ON M C FA DDEN, C. J. , D OYLE, P. J. , and HODGES, J. 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 ived 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.

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H I S C O U R T. A LL FILIN G S M U ST B E S UB M I TTED WITHIN TH E TIM E S S E T B Y

O U R C O U R T R U LE S . Febr uary 1, 2021 

# I nth e Co urt o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia
A2 0 A1 78 0 . BREVIK v . BRADLEY. M C F A D D E N , Ch i ef J u d g e. In th i s d o m es t i c rel at i o n s cas e, t h e o rd er o n ap p eal d i s m i s s es b o t h a
co m p l ai n tan da co un t ercl ai m fo r l acko f s ub jectm at t er ju ri s d i ct i o n o v er t h e m ai n cl ai m . Th i s ap p eal ch al l en g es d i s m i s s al o f th e co u n t ercl ai m . Becau s e t he
co u nt ercl ai m

was a co m

pl et e p ray er fo r rel i ef i n d ep en d en to f t h e co m p l ai n t , th e t ri al co u rterred i n d is m i s s i n g th e co u nt ercl ai m . So we rev ers e. 1
. Fa ct s a n d p r o ced

ur a l p o s t u r e . J es s ica Brad ley , th e p l ai n t i ff b el o w, an d Fran kBrev i k , th e d efen d an tan d p l ai n t i ff i n co u n t ercl ai m

b el ow, were n ev er m arri edb u th av e two ch i l dren t o g et h er. Brev i kackn owl ed g edp at ern i t y b y s i g n in g b ot h b irt h cert i fi cat es an d h el p i n g t o rai s e an dfi n an ci al l y s up p o rt t h e ch i l dren . Brad l ey fi l eda co m p l ai n tfo rl eg i t i m at i o n, an dBrev ikfi l ed anan s wer an d co u nt ercl ai m al s o s eek i n g l eg i t i m at i o n. Th e s up eri o r co u rti n s t ru ct edBrad l ey t o am en d h er co m

pl ai n t t o req u es t p at ern i t y i n s teado f l eg i t i m at io n , n o t i n g t h atGeo rg ia l aw al l o ws m o t h ers t o s eek p at ern i t y an dfat h ers t o s eekl eg i t i m at i o n . See OCGA § 1 9 -7 -4 3 (au t h ori zi n g
m o th ers t o p et it i o n fo r es t ab l is h m en to f p at ern i t y ); OCGA § 1 9 -7 -2 2 (au t h o ri zi n g fat h ers t o p et i t i o n fo r l eg i ti m at i o n ). Brad l ey ’ s co u n s el , h o wev er, fai l edt o am en d t h e co m pl ai n tan di ns t eadi n d i cat edt o Brev i k ’ s co u n sel th at Brad l ey p refered t o d i s m i s s the co m

p l ai n t. Brad l ey

d i dn o tfi l e a wri t t en n ot i ce o f d i sm i s s al
. Nev ert h el es s , Brev i kfi l eda fo rm al o b ject i o n t o d is m i ss al
. Th e s up eri o r co u rten t ered an o rd er d i s m i s s in g th e act i o n i n i t s en t i ret y . Th e t ri al co u rtfo u n d t h at i tl ack ed s ub jectm at t er ju ri s d ict i o n o v er th e co u n t ercl ai m b ecau s e i tl ack eds ub

ject m at t er ju ri s di ct i o n o v er th e m ai n cl ai m . T h e fat h er ap p li edfo r a d i scret i o n ary ap p eal , th e ap pl i cat i o n was g ran t ed , an dth i s ap p eal fo l l o w ed
. 2
. Th e co u n t er cl a im
. Rev i ew o f ano rd er d is m i s s i n g a co m p l ai n t fo r l acko f s ub

ject m at t er ju ri s d i ct i o n i s d e n o v o . Ba b b v. Ba b b , 2 9 3 Ga. Ap p . 1 4 0, 1 4 0 (1 ) (6 66 SE2 d3 9 6 ) 2(2 0 0 8). Ap p l y in g thats t an dard , we fi n dan erro r i n th e t ri al co u rt ’ s d i s m i s s al o f t h e

co u nt ercl ai m . Th e t ri al co u rt ’ s reas o n i n g
— th ata co un t ercl ai m can n o t b e ad ju d i cat edi n t h e ab s en ce o f ju ri s d ict i o n o v er t h e m ai n co m p l ai nt— i s n o ts up p o rt edb y Geo rg i a l aw. Ou r l aw i s t o th e co n trary . A p ro perl y p l ead edco u n t ercl ai m

m ay b e i n d ep en den t l y

ad ju d i cat edup o n d i s m i s s al o f t h e m ai n cl ai m . See Mi z e v. Fi r s t Ci t i z en s Ba n k & Tr u s t Co

. , 2 9 7 Ga. Ap p . 6 , 7 -8 (6 7 6 SE2 d4 0 2 ) (2 0 0 9 ) (h o l d i n g t h ata co u n t ercl ai m

m ay s urv iv e t h e p l ai nt i ff’ s v ol u n t ary d i s m is s al o f t he
co m p l ai n t ); Reco rd

To wn v. S

uga r l o a f Mi l l s Ltd . Pa r tner s h i p o f Ga

. , 3 0 1 Ga. Ap p . 3 6 7 , 3 7 1 (4 ) (6 8 7 SE2 d6 40 ) (2 0 0 9 ) (h o ld i n g t h ata co u n tercl ai m m ay s urv i v e i n v o l u n t ary

d i s m i s sal o f t h e co m

p l ai n t ). Wh ere a co u n t ercl ai m

s t an d s as “ a co m

p l et e cl ai m

wh i ch co u l d b e ad ju d i cat edwi t h o u treg ardt o [t h e o ri g i n al ] co m pl ai n t ,” i t s h o u l drem ai n p en d i n g b efo re t h e co u rt . R eed

v. Reed , 2 9 5 Ga. 5 7 4 , 5 7 7 (1 ) (7 6 1 SE2 d3 2 6 ) (2 0 14 ). In
s u ch a cas e, t h e tri al co u rt ’ s juri s d i ct i o n t o res o l v e t h e co u n tercl ai m ex i s t s i n d ep en den t l y

o f i t s juri sd i ct i o n o v er t h e o ri g in al act i o n . Id
. Here, t h e fat her’ s co u nt ercl ai m fo r l eg i ti m at i on was p ro perl y p l ead edan d
s t at eda co m

p l et e p ray er fo r rel i ef. A cl ai m fo r l eg i t i m at i o n m

u st“ s etfo rt h t h e 3n am e, ag e, an ds ex o f t h e ch il d , [an d ] th e n am e o f t h e m o th er.” OCGA § 1 9 -7 -2 2

(c). Th e cl ai m

m ay al s o s et fo rt h “ cl ai m s fo r v i s i t at i o n , p aren t in g t i m e, o r
cu s t o dy .” Id . 1 9-7 -2 2 (g ). Th e co u n t ercl ai m i d en t i fi es th e m o t h er b y

n am e an dth e ch i l dren b y

n am e, ag e, an ds ex , wh i le al so m ak in g cl ai m s fo r cu st o dy an ds up p o rt . Th e t ri al co u rth adjuri s di ct i o n o v er t h e co u n tercl ai m an d s o co u l dh av e p ro ceed ed wi t h i t s ad

j u d icat i o n ev en aft er d i s m i s s al o f t h e m ai n co m p l ai n t . See W

ea ver v. Reed , 2 8 2 Ga. Ap p . 8 3 1 , 8 3 4 (6 4 0 SE2 d3 51 ) (2 0 0 6 ) (h o l d i ng th atth e t ri al co u rt erred i n co ncl u d i n g i tl ack ed ju ri s d ict i o n o v er a co u nt ercl ai m aft er t h e m ai n act i o n
was d is m i s s ed ). Co n seq u en t l y , th e t ri al co u rterred i n d i s m i s si ng th e fat h er’ s co u n t ercl ai m fo r l eg i t i m at i o n .

Ju d gmen t r ever sed. Do yl e, P. J., a nd

Ho dg es , J., co n cu r .

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