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Hammock v. HammockHammock v. Hammock

Supreme Court of Georgia
Feb 24, 1953
No. 18123
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Hawkins
Hawkins, Justice.

The exception is to a judgment sustaining a general demurrer to a petition filed by the husband, and the paternal grandfather of minor children, within thirty ‍‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‍days after a judgment granting a divorce and awarding custody of minor children to the wife. The petition seeks to modify the judgment as to custody, but contains no approved brief of evidence, it being insisted that the sufficiency of the evidence adduced at the divorce trial is not involved. The petition ‍‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‍to modify alleged that the mother was not a proper person to have custody; that, prior to the decree of divorce, she by oral agreement relinquished custody to the paternal grandfather; and that she obtained the decree of divorce without notifying him of any intention of getting the children. Held:

Where a petition for divorce ‍‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‍alleged that there were minor children, naming them, and that the petitioner desired to have their custody, it was not necessary that such petition contain a specific prayer for custody. Code, § 30-127; Mills v. Mills, 150 Ga. 782 (3) (105 S. E. 357). The law presumes that the evidence showed that the mother was a proper person to have ‍‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‍custody. To constitute sufficient grounds to modify that judgment, the petition should contain an approved brief of the evidence, rebutting this presumption. In the absence of such a brief, no grounds for modification were alleged, and the trial court did not err in sustaining the general demurrer, and in dismissing the petition ‍‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‍to modify. Purser v. Purser, 207 Ga. 335 (61 S. E. 2d, 503), and cases cited.

Judgment affirmed.

All the Justices concur, except Atkinson, P. J., not participating. Clark Bay and Fraser & Shelf er, for plaintiffs in error. Brackett & Brackett and B. B. Pullen, contra.

Case Details

Case Name: Hammock v. Hammock
Court Name: Supreme Court of Georgia
Date Published: Feb 24, 1953
Citations: 209 Ga. 647; 74 S.E.2d 859; 1953 Ga. LEXIS 338; No. 18123
Docket Number: No. 18123
Court Abbreviation: Ga.
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