Case Name: STITT v. STITT
Court: Supreme Court of Georgia
Jurisdiction: Georgia
Decision Date: 1979-03-08
Citations: 243 Ga. 301
Docket Number: 34242
Parties: STITT v. STITT.
Judges: All the Justices concur.
Reporter: Georgia Reports
Volume: 243
Pages: 301–302

Head Matter:
34242.
STITT v. STITT.

Opinion:
Undercofler, Presiding Justice.
This is a suit for divorce and alimony. There are no children of the marriage. This appeal is from the grant of temporary alimony including attorney fees. Appellant challenges the constitutionality of the alimony statutes contained in Code Ann. § 30-201 — 30-212 because they deny equal protection of the laws by not providing for alimony for husbands. Since the issues involved here concern only temporary alimony including attorney fees, we address only Code Ann. § 30-201, 30-202, 30-202.1 and 30-203. These statutes impose alimony obligations on husbands but not wives and violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, Orr v. Orr, - U. S. - (99 SC 1102, 59 LE2d -) (1979). Accordingly we hold Code Ann. § 30-201, 30-202, 30-202.1, and 30-203 unconstitutional.
Nevertheless, we affirm the trial court's award of temporary alimony and attorney fees.
The superior courts have authority to award temporary alimony including attorney fees to either party as a derivative and incidental power to the power to grant divorces. McGee v. McGee, 10 Ga. 477 (1851).
Argued November 15, 1978
Decided March 8, 1979
Rehearing denied March 27, 1979.
Robert K. Stitt, III, pro se.
Rosenbluth, Kahn & White, Jerrell P. Rosenbluth, for appellee.
Judgment affirmed.
All the Justices concur.