FI RST DI VI SI ON DOYLE, C. J.

, PHI PPS, P. J, and BOGGS, 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 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

October 1, 2015



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 5 A0 85 0 . REGAN v

. EDW ARDS. DO-0 4 0

D O Y LE , Ch ief J ud g e.

Bev erl y Reg an ap peal s fro m an o rd er award i ng at t orn ey fees u n d er OCGA §

9 -1 5 -1 4 (b ) t o her ex -h us b an d

, D o n al d Bl ai r Ed w ard s III. Fo r t h e reas o n s th at fo l l o w,

we v acat e i n p art t h e award o f at t o rn ey fees

.

W e rev iew a t ri al co u rt ’ s g ran t o f at t o rn ey fees fo r an ab u s e o f d i s cret i o n

. 1

Th e reco rd rev eal s t h at t h e p art i es ’ d i v o rce s et t l em en t ag reem en t was en t ered

i n Sep tem

b er 2 0 0 9 , an d t h e fi n al o rd er o f d i v orce en t ered i n Feb ru ary 2 01 0

. 2

1 See Lo n ge v. Fl emi n g , 3 1 8 G a

. Ap p

. 2 5 8

, 26 1 (2 ) (7 33 SE2 d 7 92 ) (2 0 1 2 );

W a l la ce v. No b l e Vi l l a g e & c. , 2 9 2 Ga. Ap p

. 3 0 7 , 3 1 0 (6 64 SE2 d 2 9 2 ) (2 0 0 8 ).

2 Reg an fi l ed a n um

b er o f co n t em

p t act i o n s aft er t h e fi n al o rd er o f d i v orce was

en t ered i n o rd er t o en fo rce p ro v i s i o n s o f t h e i n co rp o rat ed s e t t l em en t ag reem en t

, i n cl u d i n g p ay m en t o f b ack t ax es , p ay m en t o f ch i l d s u p p o rt an d m ed i cal ex p en s es , an d

p ay m en t o f at t o rn ey

fees

.On J u l y 1 7

, 2 0 1 2

, Reg an p ro v id ed wri tt en no t i fi cat i o n t o E d ward s t h at s h e

ex p ect ed t o m o ve t o M as s ach u s et t s wi th t h ei r t wo s o n s b y Sep t em b er 8

, 2 0 1 2

. In

res p o n s e t o t h e no t i fi cat i o n , o n J u l y 2 5

, 20 1 2

, Ed ward s fi l ed a p et i t i o n fo r

m o d i fi cat i o n o f ch i l d cu s t o d y , p aren ti n g t i m e, an d ch i l d s u pp o rt

, an d a ci t at i o n f o r

co n tem p t

. Ed ward s req u es t ed an em erg en cy heari ng o n t h e m at t er, an d a h eari n g was

h el d o n Au g u s t 2 9, 20 1 2

. Reg an an s wered an d res p o n d ed

, a s k i n g f o r a ch an g e in

cu s t o d y b as ed o n l o n g -d i s t an ce v i s i t at i o n an d al l eg i n g t h at th e m o v e was n eces s ary

b ecau s e s h e req u i red fam i ly s u pp o rt b as ed on Ed ward s ’ s co n t i n u ed fai l u re to p ro v i d e

p rev i o u s l y ag reed -t o fi n an ci al s u p p o rt an d pay m en t o n t h e c o u p l e ’s m ari t al t ax

o b l i g at i o ns . Th ereaft er, a t em p o rary o rd er was en tered

.

On M arch 15

, 2 0 13

, t he p art i es had a m ed i at io n , w h i ch res u l t ed i n a p art i al

ag reem en t

. On A p ri l 2

, 20 1 3

, a p art i al fi nal ag reem en t was fi l ed

, an d Ed ward s fi l ed

an am en d ed p et it i on , as k i n g t h e t ri al co u rt t o d ecreas e h i s ch i l d s u p p ort p ay m en t s to

Reg an

. Reg an an s wered

, arg u i n g t h at t he ch i l d ren ’ s ch i l d care co st s h ad n o t m at eri al l y

ch an ged s i n ce en t ry o f t h e 2 0 0 9 d ecree, an d s h e h a d e x p e r i en ced a 2 5 p ercen t

d ecreas e o f i n co m e s i n ce t h at ti m e. Ad d i t i o n al m ed i at i on an d n eg o t i at i o n s en s u ed

r e ga r ding substa

ntia l pr e

- divor ce t ax ob l i g at i o n s , an d al t h o u g h t h e part ies p ur por te dly

ag reed t o a s et t l em en t o f t h o s e i s s u es , Reg an refu s ed t o ag ree t o fo rm al en t ry wi t h t h e

2co u rt of t h at p u rp o rt ed ag reem en t. Ed ward s s u cces s fu l l y m o v ed fo r en fo rcem en t o f

t h i s s et t l em en t ag reem en t

, t he d et ai ls o f wh i ch h av e n o b eari n g o n th i s ap peal

, an d fo r

at t o rn ey fees p urs u an t t o v ari o u s p ro v i s i on o f OCGA § 9 -1 5 -1 4

.

Reg an co n ten d s t h at t h e tri al co u rt erred b y award in g a p o rt i o n o f at to rn ey fees

t o Ed ward s u n d er OCGA § 9 -1 5 -1 4 (b ) b ecau se t h e co n du ct p reci p i t at i n g t h e award

o ccu rred p ri or t o in i t i at i on o f t h e l i t i g at i o n

. 3 W e ag ree.

Pu rs uan t t o OCGA § 9 -1 5 -1 4 (b )

[t ] h e co urt m ay as s es s reas o n ab le an d n eces s ary at t o rn ey ’ s fees an d

ex p en s es of l i t i g at i o n in an y ci v i l act i o n i n an y co u rt of reco rd i f, u p o n

t h e m o t i o n o f an y part y o r t h e co u rt i t s el f, i t fi n d s t h at an at t o rn ey o r

p art y b ro u g h t o r defen d ed an act i on , or an y p art t h ereo f, t h at l ack ed

s u b s t an t i al ju s t i fi cat i o n o r t h at th e act i o n, o r an y p art t h e r eo f, w as

i n t erp o s ed fo r del ay o r h aras s m en t

, o r if i t fi n d s th at an at t orn ey or p art y

u n n eces s ari l y ex p an d ed t h e p ro ce e d i n g b y o t h er i m p ro p er co n d u ct

, i n cl u d i n g , b u t n ot l i m i t ed t o , ab u s e s o f d i s co v ery p ro ced u res

. . . . As

u s ed i n t h i s Co d e s ect io n , “ l ack ed s u b st an t i al ju s t i fi cat i o n ” m ean s

s u b s t an t i al ly fri v o l o u s , s u b s tan t i al l y g ro u n d l es s, o r su b s t an t i al l y

v ex at i o u s

.

3 W e n o t e t hat Ed ward s h as fai l ed t o fi l e an ap p el l at e b ri ef.

3Th i s Co u rt h as ex p l ai n ed t h at at t o rn ey fee award s p u rs u an t t o OCGA § 9 -1 5 -1 4 (b )

m ay n o t b e b as ed o n co nd u ct t hat o ccu rred p ri o r t o l i t i g at i o n

. 4

Al t h ou g h t he t ri al co u rt ’ s o rd er an n ou n ce d t hat $ 10 ,4 6 3 fees were award ed

u n d er OCGA § 9 -1 5 -1 4 (b ) fo r “ u n n eces s ari ly e x p an d[i n g ] t h e p ro ceed in g s ,” t h e

co n du ct u n d erl y i ng t h i s award w as t h e tri al co u rt ’ s fi n d i n g t hat t h ere was “ n o b as i s ”

fo r Reg an ’ s p l an n ed m ov e t o M as s ach u set t s t h at p reci p it at ed Ed ward s ’ s fi l i n g o f t h e

act i on fo r m o d i f

i c a t i o n o f ch i l d s u p po rt an d p aren t i n g ti m e. 5 Reg an ’ s an n o u n ced

i n t en t i o n t o m ov e t o M as s ach us et ts occu rred p r i o r t o t he in s t i g at i o n o f Ed ward s ’ s

p et i t i o n ; t h erefo re, t h e t ri al co u rt ab u s ed i t s d i s cret i o n b y g ran t in g Ed ward s ’ s m o t i o n

fo r fees u n d er O CGA § 9-1 5 -1 4 (b ) fo r t h i s co nd u ct

. 6 Reg an ’ s d efen s e o f Ed ward s ’ s

4 See S t o n e v. Ki n g , 1 9 6 Ga. A pp

. 2 5 1

, 2 5 3 (3 ) (3 9 6 SE2 d 4 5 ) (1 9 9 0 ) (co m p ari n g fee award s p u rs u an t t o OCGA § 1 3 -6 -1 1

, wh i ch m ay b e bas ed on co n d u ct
ari s in g p ri o r t o li t ig at i o n ); Co b b Co u n t y v. S eva n i

, 1 9 6 Ga. Ap p. 24 7

, 2 4 8 -2 4 9

, (3 9 5

SE2 d 5 7 2 ) (1 9 9 0 ) (h o l di n g th at “ [t ] h e fo cu s o f [OCGA § 9 -1 5 -1 4 (b )] i s cl earl y u p o n

act i on s t h at are u n d ert ak en in co n n ect i o n wi t h t he u n derl y i ng l eg al p ro ceed i n g s , an d

n o t u p o n t h e p re-l i t i g at i on act i on s o f o n e wh o o nl y s ub s eq u en t ly b eco m es a p art y to
a l eg al p ro ceed i ng .”).

5 Th e t ri al co u rt s ep arat el y award ed fees o f $ 5 ,2 5 0 fo r t wo h eari ng s t h a t t h e

co u rt fo u n d u n n eces s ary

an d b as ed o n Reg an ’ s co n du ct d u ri n g t h e p en d en cy o f t h e

act i on . Reg an h as n o t ap p eal ed t h is p o rt i o n o f t he at to rn ey fee award

.

6 See Seva n i

, 1 9 6 Ga. Ap p

. at 2 4 8 -2 4 9

. Co m p are wi t h S t o n e , 1 9 6 Ga. Ap p

. at
2 5 3 (3 ).

4p et i t i o n fo r cu s t o d y an d ch il d s u p po rt m o d i fi cat i o n s was l eg al l y su p po rt ab l e ex cep t

f o r two i n s t an ces of co n d u ct fo r wh i ch t h e t ri al co u rt award ed s ep arat e am o u n t s o f

at t o rn ey fees t h e award o f wh i ch Reg an d o es n o t ch al l en ge o n ap p eal

. 7 Acco rd i n g l y ,

t h e o rd er an d am en d ed o rd er are v acat ed i n p art as t o t he at t o rn ey fee award o f

$ 1 0 ,4 6 3 erro n eo u s l y b as ed on Reg an ’ s p re-l i t ig at i o n co n d u ct

. 8 Th e cas e i s rem an d ed

fo r en t ry o f an award co ns i s t en t wi t h t h i s o p i n i o n

.

Ju d g men t va ca t ed i n p ar t a n d ca s e r ema n d ed wi t h d i rect i o n

. Ph i

p p s

, P. J., a n d

Bo g gs , J., co n cu r

.

7 See, e.g

. , Ki t ch en s v. Ez el l

, 31 5 Ga. Ap p

. 44 4

, 45 1 -4 5 2 (2 ) (7 26 SE2 d 4 6 1 ) (2 0 1 2) (p h y s ical p reced en t o n l y ).

8 Co m p are W a l l a ce , 2 9 2 Ga. Ap p. at 31 1 (rev ers i n g award u n d er OCGA § 9

- 1 5 -1 4 b ecau s e ev i d en ce di d n o t s u p p o rt award ) wi t h Lo ng e , 3 1 8 G a. Ap p

. at 2 6 1 (2 ) (rev ers i n g a n d r e m an d i n g fo r fu rt h er fi nd i n g s b y t h e t ri al co u rt “ [b ] ecau s e t h e t ri al

co u rt fai l ed t o m ak e [an y ] fi nd i n g s su ffi ci en t t o s u p p ort s uch an award un d er” OCGA § 9 -1 5 -1 4 (b ) o r ci t e t o a s peci fi c co d e s ect i o n au t h o ri zi ng i t s at to rn ey fee award ). In

t h i s ca s e , t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s s p eci fi c fi n d i n g o f fact d o es n o t s u p p ort t h e award u n d er OCGA § 9 -1 5 -1 4

, an d t h erefo re, we d ecl i n e t o rem an d fo r ad d i t i o n al fi n d i ng s o f fact

.

5