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Thaddeus L. Moorev.Heather C. Moore

CourtCourt of Appeals of Georgia
Docket No.A18A0137
DecidedJune 1, 2018
Reporter288 Ga. 283
JudgesCourt of Appeals of Georgia
Tags
CivilFamily LawChild CustodyParental RightsStatutory InterpretationVacaturRemand
Case Summary

After Thaddeus and Heather Moore divorced, their teenage child asked to live with Heather and to decide when to visit Thaddeus. The trial court awarded Heather sole legal and physical custody, allowed the child to control visitation, and modified Thaddeus’s support obligation, including a percentage of future bonuses. On appeal, Thaddeus challenged the scope of the custody ruling, the absence of a parenting plan, the support modification, and the treatment of future income. The Georgia Court of Appeals affirmed the custody determination but vacated portions of the order and remanded. The trial court had to incorporate a permanent parenting plan containing the statutory details about parental access and decision-making, even though visitation was subject to the child’s election. The court also held that the support modification required the findings and worksheets required by Georgia law, and that a percentage of future bonuses could not be imposed without treating it as a supported deviation rather than a speculative future change. The remaining support issues were premature on the incomplete record.

Opinion

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