Court Opinion

ID: 9586937
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 23:16:40.3627+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:32:56.982721
License: Public Domain

*389Weltner, Justice,
dissenting.
The “Tenth Annual Report on the Work of the Georgia Courts” published in February 1984 by the Judicial Council of Georgia/Administrative Office of the Courts, reflects that during the fiscal year July 1, 1982, through June 30, 1983, the total number of domestic relations civil filings lodged with the superior courts of this State was 69,802. That represents 36.1% of the total filings of 193,155, and is the largest single category of filings, exceeding the number of criminal matters filed by over 10,000, and the number of general civil cases by almost 30,000.
For each one of the unhappy family circumstances reflected by the formality of a filing before the superior courts of Georgia, there is an indeterminate number of other perhaps equally unhappy family circumstances.
Now, the majority has invited every disillusioned husband and every embittered wife to make use of the courts to vent their spleen by seeking monetary damages.
Now, every cruel or calumnious word, every insulting or threatening gesture, may find itself discussed for days before a jury of twelve people, consuming the time of the courts and the resources of the taxpayers who finance them.
Our new rule seems to be that those who are sufficiently unhappy with and estranged from each other may file suit, notwithstanding the doctrine of interspousal immunity.
In this case, the parties have been separated for several years. What if they were separated but one year?
What if they were separated but one day?
Or, what if one spouse is blissfully unaware of deep trouble within the other spouse, who remains silent until after the actionable deed or word or gesture?
I am authorized to state that Presiding Justice Marshall joins in this dissent.