Denial of father’s request for modification of child custody, AFFIRMED, since father failed to show by clear and convincing evidence that change of custody was in child’s best interest; trial court found that father established his present fitness as parent, but failed to show that change of custody was in child’s best interest, relying on short duration of father’s two prior marriages; such considerations by trial court were appropriate since ‘ “[i]n determining the best interests of the child, the judge may consider any relevant factor,”‘ which includes anything that would impact continuity and stability in child’s life; Supreme Court’s ruling in Mallette v. Mallette, 220 Ga. 401 (1964), distinquished, since, in this case, trial court did not improperly consider prior conduct to determine present fitness, but considered such matters in determining best interests of child; mere fact of father’s remarriage did not establish, by clear and convincing evidence, that best interests of child necessitated change in custody.

Price v. Wingo, A10A1972 (09/30/2010), 10 FCDR 3225

From:  Fulton County Daily Report, 15, 2010.

Judgment refusing to modify downward husband’s alimony payments to his former wife, REVERSED; trial court erred in determining that language of parties’ settlement agreement established obligation for payment of lump sum alimony rather than periodic alimony, since provision provided that wife’s death would end husband’s alimony obligation for 180 payments in certain specific amounts; amount of husbands total alimony obligation was made uncertain because of contingency regarding wife’s survival; portion of trial court’s judgment finding lump sum alimony obligation and consequent ruling on merits of husband’s petition for alimony modificaiton REVERSED and case remanded for trial court’s consideration.

SHEPHERD V. COLLINS, s07a1658 (02/11/08), 08 FCDR 414

Fulton County Daily Report, 02/22/2008.

Criminal contempt order requiring Rhode Island resident to pay $5K fine and be imprisoned for 200 days for her failure to comply with terms of temporary modification of parental grandparents’ visitation rights to her two children REVERSED; trial court had jurisdiction over grandparents’ modification action, since initial custody determination complied with OCGA 19-9-61, children’s father still lived in Georgia, and personal jurisdiction over mother was not necessary in order to address requested modification; trial court lacked personal jurisdiction under Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Enforcement Act (UCCJEA) over mother for contempt and personal service of mother outside Georgia was invalid under circumstances;  Court relied on Ashburn v. Baker, 256 Ga. 507 (1986), which held that Georgia courts did not have personal jurisdiciton over non-risident mother, who was served outside Georgia, under either now-repealed UCCJEA or long arm statutue, and found the UCCJEA required same result; UCCJEA specifically addresses continuing jurisdiction of cusotdy issues, but not contempt issues and it did not repeal any existing statutory provisions covering divorce, custody, alimony or child support procedures; mother did not admit personal jurisdiciton when she failed to respond to discovery served with complaint, since return of service only showed that she was served with summons and complaint, not discovery; contempt order was not enforceable in Rhode Island pursuant to UCCJEA, since applicable provisions referred to custody determinations and did not includ contempt orders.

Daniels v. Barnes,  A07A1719 (03/04/08), 08 FCDR 795

Fulton County Daily Report, 03/21/2008

Judgment entered in parties’ divorce action, AFFIRMED; evidence supported trial court’s conclusion that husband’s income was at least $65K per year, that alimony award was proper and that husband’s age and health condition did not adversely affect his ability to pay child support; evidence that husband incurred $27K tax debt on his own supported trial court’s decision to require him to pay debt.

Vereen v. Vereen, S08F0736 (11/17/08), 08 FCDR 3664

Fulton County Daily Report, 12/08/2008

Judgment PARTIALLY VACATED on father’s petition for joint custody, visitation rights and downward modification of his child support obligation as trial court erred in delaying effective date of its upward modification of father’s child support obligation for 15 months so that he could pay off child support arrearage; although trial court could delay full implementation of upward modification via phase-in, under OCGA 19-6-15, trial court had to provide for some amount, equal to or greater than 25 percent of new award, to take effect immediately; since arrearages cannot be considered in reducing gross income for child-support calculations, it would be inconsistent to allow those arrearages to delay implementation of statutorily-outline increase in child support.

Hampton v. Nesmith, A0801887 (11/13/08), 08 FCDR 3728

Fulton County Daily Report, 12/05/2008

Denial of appellant’s motion for contempt and emergency change of custody, AFFIRMED, as some evidence supported trial court’s ruling that appellee was not in contempt; though parties’ divorce decree did not award child support due to appellant’s then existing health problems, it did not debar appellee from exercising his legitimate right to seek child support at some future time and appellant failed to show that change in custody was necessary or in child’s best interest; absent transcript, evidence presumably supported trial court’s ruling, in any event; after trial court declined to award any child support in divorce action, appellee filed action for child support through Child Support Enforcement Office, which entered order granting support from appellant, though order was later temrinated to to appellant’s health problems.

Jones v. Foster, A10A0278 (05/03/2010), 10 FCDR 1527

From:  Fulton County Daily Report (05/14/2010)

Denial of mother’s petition to modify custody based on allegations that father touched children inappropriately while they visited him, REVERSED, and case remanded;  trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying mother’s petition, because evidence showing sexual abuse was not conclusive; trial court erred in refusing to consider additional evidence from witness discovered after hearing, but before final ruling, because trial court in custody action must consider all facts and conditions, which present themselves up to time of rendering final judgment.

Hardin v. Hardin, A10A0572 (04/06/10), 10 FCDR 1347

From:  Fulton County Daily Report (04/23/2010)

Denial of father’s motion to hold mother, father’s ex-wife, in contempt for failing to comply with couple’s 2005 divorce decree, which awarded father legal and primary physical custody of couple’s children, AFFIRMED; grant of mother’s petition for change in custody and award of joint legal an primary physical custody of children to mother, AFFIRMED; consolidation of father’s motion for contempt and mother’s custody petition was not prohibited by O.C.G.A. § 19-9-23, because custody action was filed as separate action in father’s county, not as responsive pleading; moreover, father cannot complain, because he did not object to consolidation and acquiesced in joint hearing; trial court DID NOT ERR in denying father’s contempt motion, because there was no evidence of willful disobedience of court order; trial court DID NOT ERR in granting mother’s custody petition on grounds that material change of condition affecting welfare of children had occurred since last order, because evidence showed that father failed to provide financially for his children, was uninvolved in their lives and did not enforce original custody order despite being awarded primary physical custody of children.

Saravia v. Mendoza, A10A0391, A10A0392 (03/31/10), 10 FCDR 1173

From:  Fulton County Daily Report, (04/16/2010).

Dismissal of father’s new/amended contempt application concerning mother’s alleged violation of his visitation rights, REVERSED; father had right under O.C.G.A. § 5-6-34 as amended to directly appeal dismissal of his contempt motion, father’s new contempt motion gave mother adequate notice of nature of his claim and trial court’s sua sponte dismissal without hearing did not afford father due process; mother’s contention that trial court lacked personal jurisdiction was meritless, even though mother had moved out of state, since father’s properly served prior contempt motion was still pending when he served mother with new/amended motion and father’s service of new/amended motion on mother’s attorney of record in prior pending action was sufficient to confer personal jurisdiction.

Dennis v. Dennis, A10A0500 (03/10/10), 10 FCDR

From the Fulton County Daily Report, 3/26/2010.

Trial court’s order awarding sole custody to father, AFFIRMED; trial court was presumably correct in allowing father to bring his petition for modification, because mother did not show that father’s petition was filed as prohibited counterclaim under O.C.G.A § 19-9-23(c); moreover, father’s petition bore a different case number than mother’s petitions and parties’ actions were filed almost simultaneously; doctrine of unclean hands does not apply in child custody cases and trial court was not required to retain custody with mother simply because father picked up minor from mother’s mother and step-father’s house; trial court DID NOT abuse its discretion in finding material change in circumstances affecting minor’s welfare, because mother left minor in her mother and step-father’s care for several months without notifying father and forged court order in attempt to take child away from father.

Lynch v. Horton, A09A1934 (3/03/10), 10 FCDR 638

From the Fulton County Daily Report – 3/19/2010