Williams v. Williams

Supreme Court of Georgia

Williams v. Williams

21 S.E.2d 229, 194 Ga. 332, 1942 Ga. LEXIS 556

CourtSupreme Court of Georgia

DecidedJune 18, 1942

Docket14159.

StatusPublished

Cited by10 cases

This text of 21 S.E.2d 229 (Williams v. Williams) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Williams v. Williams, 21 S.E.2d 229, 194 Ga. 332, 1942 Ga. LEXIS 556 (Ga. 1942).

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Opinion

Duckworth, Justice.

1. Where a wife’s petition for permanent and temporary alimony under the Code, § 30-213, is dismissed for want of prosecution, a previous award of temporary alimony to the wife, based upon such petition, terminates with such dismissal. Bishop v. Bishop, 124 Ga. 293 (52 S. E. 743); Stallings v. Stallings, 127 Ga. 464 (56 S. E. 469, 9 L. R. A. (N. S.) 593); Higgs v. Higgs, 144 Ga. 20 (85 S. E. 1041); Mason v. Mason, 151 Ga. 468 (107 S. E. 331); B risendine v. Brisendine, 152 Ga. 745 (2) (111 S. E. 22); Fauver v. Hemperly, 178 Ga. 424 (2) (173 S. E. 82).

2. Where such an action has been dismissed for want of prosecution, and has not been reinstated, the case is entirely out of court, and no further relief can be granted thereon. A petition “supplementary” to and expressly made a part of the first petition will not authorize a grant of permanent alimony or additional temporary alimony to the wife.

3. The dismissal of the suit for alimony does not terminate the right of the wife to enforce the installments of temporary alimony which became due before such dismissal. Fauver v. Hemperly, supra, and cit.

4. Subsequent voluntary cohabitation will render void a judgment for temporary alimony. Weeks v. Weeks, 160 Ga. 369 (127 S. E. 772); Mosely v. Mosely, 181 Ga. 543 (182 S. E. 849); Thomas v. Smith, 185 Ga. 243 (3) (194 S. E. 502).

5. An order granting temporary alimony is always in the breast of the *333 court, and the court is authorized at any time, in the exercise of a sound discretion, to revise or revoke such an order. Code, § 30-204; Jennison v. Jennison, 136 Ga. 202 (71 S. E. 244, Ann. Cas. 1912C, 441); Hemphill v. Hemphill, 172 Ga. 387 (157 S. E. 637). The judge being authorized to find from the evidence in the instant case that the parties resumed cohabitation within a week after the temporary alimony had been awarded, it was not error to declare such order null and void.

No. 14159. June 18, 1942. Rehearing denied July 16, 1942.

Judgment affirmed.

All the Justices concur. *334 John J. McCreary, for plaintiff. Edward F. Taylor, for defendant.

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Duckworth, Justice.

1. Where a wife’s petition for permanent and temporary alimony under the Code, § 30-213, is dismissed for want of prosecution, a previous award of temporary alimony to the wife, based upon such petition, terminates with such dismissal. Bishop v. Bishop, 124 Ga. 293 (52 S. E. 743); Stallings v. Stallings, 127 Ga. 464 (56 S. E. 469, 9 L. R. A. (N. S.) 593); Higgs v. Higgs, 144 Ga. 20 (85 S. E. 1041); Mason v. Mason, 151 Ga. 468 (107 S. E. 331); B risendine v. Brisendine, 152 Ga. 745 (2) (111 S. E. 22); Fauver v. Hemperly, 178 Ga. 424 (2) (173 S. E. 82).

2. Where such an action has been dismissed for want of prosecution, and has not been reinstated, the case is entirely out of court, and no further relief can be granted thereon. A petition “supplementary” to and expressly made a part of the first petition will not authorize a grant of permanent alimony or additional temporary alimony to the wife.

3. The dismissal of the suit for alimony does not terminate the right of the wife to enforce the installments of temporary alimony which became due before such dismissal. Fauver v. Hemperly, supra, and cit.

4. Subsequent voluntary cohabitation will render void a judgment for temporary alimony. Weeks v. Weeks, 160 Ga. 369 (127 S. E. 772); Mosely v. Mosely, 181 Ga. 543 (182 S. E. 849); Thomas v. Smith, 185 Ga. 243 (3) (194 S. E. 502).

5. An order granting temporary alimony is always in the breast of the *333 court, and the court is authorized at any time, in the exercise of a sound discretion, to revise or revoke such an order. Code, § 30-204; Jennison v. Jennison, 136 Ga. 202 (71 S. E. 244, Ann. Cas. 1912C, 441); Hemphill v. Hemphill, 172 Ga. 387 (157 S. E. 637). The judge being authorized to find from the evidence in the instant case that the parties resumed cohabitation within a week after the temporary alimony had been awarded, it was not error to declare such order null and void.

No. 14159. June 18, 1942. Rehearing denied July 16, 1942.

Judgment affirmed.

All the Justices concur. *334 John J. McCreary, for plaintiff. Edward F. Taylor, for defendant.

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21 S.E.2d 229, 194 Ga. 332, 1942 Ga. LEXIS 556, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/williams-v-williams-ga-1942.

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