Court Opinion

ID: 9581861
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 22:19:44.046927+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:37:18.236188
License: Public Domain

Hunt, Chief Justice,
concurring in part and dissenting in part.
I agree with Justice Carley that a remand in this case is inappropriate because there is nothing indicating that the child support award is not within the guidelines of OCGA § 19-6-15 (b) (5). However, I would not go so far as to urge the General Assembly to require written findings in any case in which the guidelines may be applicable. The trial courts have long been able to perform their duty in this regard to allocate resources based on need and ability to pay. This duty is unchanged by the new statute, Willingham v. Willingham, 261 Ga. 674, 675 (410 SE2d 98) (1991); Walker v. Walker, 260 Ga. 442, 443 (396 SE2d 235) (1990), and we need not impose any additional requirements on the trial courts in performing this duty.
Accordingly, I concur in Divisions 2 and 3, and dissent to Division 1 of the majority opinion.
I am authorized to state that Justice Sears joins in this opinion.