# C o u rt o f

A p p ea ls

o f t h e S t a te o f

G eo rg ia

ATLANTA,_

_ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _

Th e Co u rt

o f Ap p ea l s h er eb y p a s s es t h e f

o ll owi n g o r der :

A1 9 A0 41 1 . BRI DGETTE MORRI S v . BRUCE DAVI S SMI TH.

Bri d get t e M o rri s an d Bru ce Sm it h were di v o rced i n 20 1 0

. Th ei r d i vo rce d ecree

req u i r e d Sm i th t o m ak e m o n th l y p ay m en t s t o M o rri s fo r t h e s u pp o rt o f t h e p art i es ’

t h en -m i n o r ch i l d

. A set tl em en t ag reem en t i n co rp o rat ed in to t h e d i v o r c e d ecree

fu rt her req u ired Sm i th t o p ay fo r t h e c h i l d’ s p ri v at e ed u cat i o n an d ex t racu rri cu l ar

act i vi t i es

.

In 2 0 1 8, Sm i t h fi l ed a p et i t i o n fo r a d ecl arat o ry ju dg m en t i n wh i ch h e s o u g ht

a d ecl arat i o n t h at h is o b li gat i o n s h a d t erm i n at ed i n Decem b er 2 0 1 7 p u rs u an t t o t h e

t erm s o f th e d i v o rce d ecree an d set t lem en t ag reem en t

. Th e t ri al co u rt g ran t ed Sm i t h ’ s

p et i t i o n

, an d Mo rri s fi l ed a n ot ice of ap p eal t o t h e Su prem e Co u rt

, w h i ch tran s ferred

t h e m at t er t o t h i s Co u rt . W e l ack ju ri sd i ct i o n

.

W h ere, as h ere, t h e u n derl y i n g act i on i n v o l v es ri g h t s an d o b l i ga t i o n s ari s i n g

o u t o f a d i v o rce decree a n d d o e s n o t i n v o l v e ch i l d cu s to d y

, t h e cas e is a d o m es t i c

rel at i o n s m at t er wi t h i n t h e m ean i n g o f OCGA § 5 -6 -3 5 (a) (2 ). See W a l ker v. Es t a t e

o f Ma ys

, 2 7 9 Ga. 6 5 2

, 65 3 (1 ) (6 1 9 SE2 d 6 7 9 ) (2 00 5 ). Ap p eal s i n s u ch m at ters m u s t

b e i n i ti at ed b y fi l i n g an ap p li cat i o n fo r d i s cret i o n ary rev i ew. See OCGA § 5 -6 -3 5 (a)

(2 ), (b ); Vo

yl es v. V o yl es

, 3 0 1 Ga. 4 4

, 4 7 (7 9 9 SE2 d 1 6 0 ) ( 2 0 1 7 ) (an ap p eal i n a

d o m es t ic rel at i o n s cas e i n w h i ch cu st o d y i s n o t at i s s u e m u s t b e b ro u g h t by

d i s cret i o n ary ap p l i cat i o n ); S mo a k v. Dep t

. o

f Hu ma n Res o u rces , 2 2 1 Ga. Ap p . 2 5 7,

2 5 7 (4 7 1 SE2 d 6 0 ) (1 9 9 6 ) ( “ R e g ard l es s h o w th i s cas e was co u ch ed or p urs u ed

, i t

i n v o l v es co l l ect io n o f ch i l d s up p o rt m o n ey s an d i t i s a d om es t i c rel at i o n s m a t t e r.”)

(p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed ). “ Co m p l i an ce wi t h t h e d i scret i o nary ap peal s p r o c ed u re i s

October 05, 2018ju ri s d i ct i o n al .” S mo a k

, 2 21 Ga. Ap p

. at 2 5 7. M o r r i s ’s f a i l ure t o fo ll o w t he p ro p er

p ro ced u r e d e p ri v es u s o f ju ri s d i ct i o n o ver t h i s di rect ap p eal

, w h i ch i s h ereb y

DISM ISSED. See i d . at 2 5 7-2 58

.

C o u r t o f A p p e a l s o f t h e S t a t e o

f G e o r g ia

C le r k ’ s O f f i c e

, A t la n t a

,

_

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ I c e r t i f y th a t t h e a b o v e i s a t r u e e x t r a c t f r o m

t h e m i n u t e s o

f t h e C o u r t o

f A p p e a l s o f G e o r g i a

.

W i tn e s s m y s i g n a t u r e a n d t h e s e a l o

f s a i d c o u r t

h e r e t o a f f i x e d t h e d a y a n d y e a r l a s t a b o v e w r i t t e n

.

, C l e r k

. 10/05/2018