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2018 Georgia Code 19-3-6 | Car Wreck Lawyer

TITLE 19 DOMESTIC RELATIONS

Section 3. Marriage Generally, 19-3-1 through 19-3-68.

ARTICLE 1 GENERAL PROVISIONS

19-3-6. Effect of restraints on marriage; when valid.

Marriage is encouraged by the law. Every effort to restrain or discourage marriage by contract, condition, limitation, or otherwise shall be invalid and void, provided that prohibitions against marriage to a particular person or persons or before a certain reasonable age or other prudential provisions looking only to the interest of the person to be benefited and not in general restraint of marriage will be allowed and held valid.

(Orig. Code 1863, § 1652; Code 1868, § 1696; Code 1873, § 1697; Code 1882, § 1697; Civil Code 1895, § 2410; Civil Code 1910, § 2929; Code 1933, § 53-107.)

JUDICIAL DECISIONS

It is public policy of this state to maintain family relation and to permit the settlement of matrimonial differences for that purpose. Evans v. Hartley, 57 Ga. App. 598, 196 S.E. 273 (1938); McClain v. McClain, 237 Ga. 80, 227 S.E.2d 5 (1976).

Termination of alimony in event of remarriage.

- Provision for permanent alimony which provided that in the event the wife should obtain a divorce and should marry again, or should marry again in the event of the death of her husband, the alimony should terminate was not violative of law and contrary to public policy in that it was in restraint of marriage. Watson v. Burnley, 150 Ga. 460, 104 S.E. 220 (1920).

Agreement incorporated into a divorce decree providing for termination of the former wife's equity in real property upon her remarriage does not act as a restraint on marriage. Gordin v. Gordin, 249 Ga. 371, 290 S.E.2d 921 (1982).

Fact that a termination-upon- remarriage provision in a final judgment and decree originated in the jury's verdict rather than from an agreement of the parties is a distinction without legal significance. A trial court does not err by allowing the jury to return the verdict including the termination provision, or in entering judgment on the verdict. Gordin v. Gordin, 249 Ga. 371, 290 S.E.2d 921 (1982).

When agreement to divorce held void.

- Any agreement between husband and wife, prior to a separation, that they will live separate and apart, or that either or both will obtain a divorce, and any agreement to otherwise promote a dissolution of the marriage relation, is against public policy and void, and consideration founded thereon is illegal, but a contract between husband and wife, providing for the wife's maintenance, made after a separation has taken place, is valid and enforceable. Craig v. Craig, 53 Ga. App. 632, 186 S.E. 755 (1936).

Contract for attorney's fee void when contingent on procuring divorce.

- Contract for the payment of a fee to an attorney contingent upon the attorney procuring a divorce for the attorney's client or contingent in amount upon the amount of alimony to be obtained is void as against public policy. Evans v. Hartley, 57 Ga. App. 598, 196 S.E. 273 (1938).

Contract for attorney's fee void when fee to be paid from alimony recovered.

- Contract by wife to pay her solicitors part of alimony to be recovered by her in a suit for divorce, as compensation for their services in such suit, is void as against public policy. Evans v. Hartley, 57 Ga. App. 598, 196 S.E. 273 (1938).

Attorney may recover reasonable value of services when contract void.

- When an attorney's contract for compensation for services rendered a married woman was void as against public policy, the attorney could recover what the attorney's services were reasonably worth. Evans v. Hartley, 57 Ga. App. 598, 196 S.E. 273 (1938).

Foreign judgment given full faith though based on separation agreement void in this state.

- Although a North Carolina judgment which was incorporated into a Georgia divorce decree on the issues of alimony, child support, and custody was based on a separation contract which included a provision not to contest a later divorce which contract was clearly void as against the public policy of this state, the North Carolina alimony judgment was entitled to full faith and credit and the trial court did not err in incorporating it in the divorce decree. Cannon v. Cannon, 244 Ga. 299, 260 S.E.2d 19 (1979).

Apprenticeship of female not void when she becomes 18 as being in restraint of marriage. Dent v. Cock, 65 Ga. 400 (1880).

Employment contract not void when restraint on marriage reasonable.

- Employment contract which provided that a woman employee was to be employed as a teacher only so long as she did not marry was not void because the contract provision was a reasonable one and the restraint on marriage was incidental to the primary lawful purpose of the contract. Huiet v. Atlanta Gas Light Co., 70 Ga. App. 233, 28 S.E.2d 83 (1943).

Limitation of appointment to such time as executrix remains widow is not void as an illegal restraint against marriage. Bruce v. Fogarty, 53 Ga. App. 443, 186 S.E. 463 (1936).

Provision in will prohibiting share in estate if daughter married designated individual was not "in terrorem" but was specific valid restraint not tending to discourage marriage. Taylor v. Rapp, 217 Ga. 654, 124 S.E.2d 271 (1962).

Statute has nothing to do with adoption standards.

- Public policy of the state as enunciated by the General Assembly is to consider the best interest of the child when determining whether he or she should be adopted, O.C.G.A. § 19-8-18(b); in stating that marriage is encouraged, O.C.G.A. § 19-3-6 forbids most efforts to restrain or discourage marriage by contract, condition, limitation, or otherwise, and § 19-3-6 has nothing to do with the standards the courts must apply in determining whether to allow a child to be adopted. In re Goudeau, 305 Ga. App. 718, 700 S.E.2d 688 (2010).

Meretricious relationship defense did not apply to a promise to marry.

- Because the object of a promise to marry was not illegal or against public policy, O.C.G.A. § 19-3-6, the fact that a man and woman were living together before and after a marriage proposal was only collateral to the promise to marry, and the meretricious relationship defense provided by O.C.G.A. § 13-8-1 was inapplicable to the promise to marry. Kelley v. Cooper, 325 Ga. App. 145, 751 S.E.2d 889 (2013).

Cited in Graham v. McRae, 147 Ga. 49, 92 S.E. 871 (1917); Sims v. Sims, 245 Ga. 680, 266 S.E.2d 493 (1980); Daniel v. Daniel, 250 Ga. 849, 301 S.E.2d 643 (1983).

RESEARCH REFERENCES

Am. Jur. 2d.

- 52 Am. Jur. 2d, Marriage, § 114 et seq.

C.J.S.

- 17A C.J.S., Contracts, §§ 245, 246.

ALR.

- Conditions, conditional limitations, or contracts in restraint of marriage, 122 A.L.R. 7.

What constitutes contract between husband or wife and third person promotive of divorce or separation, 93 A.L.R.3d 523.

Cases Citing Georgia Code 19-3-6 From Courtlistener.com

Total Results: 3

Dove v. Dove

Court: Supreme Court of Georgia | Date Filed: 2009-06-15

Citation: 680 S.E.2d 839, 285 Ga. 647, 2009 Fulton County D. Rep. 2276, 2009 Ga. LEXIS 318

Snippet: 67 (2) (656 SE2d 822) (2008). See also OCGA § 19-3-6 (“Marriage is encouraged by the law. Every effort

City of Atlanta v. McKinney

Court: Supreme Court of Georgia | Date Filed: 1995-03-14

Citation: 265 Ga. 161, 454 S.E.2d 517, 1995 WL 116312

Snippet: . . . shall be invalid and void. . . .” OCGA § 19-3-6. The registry ordinance tends to discourage marriage

Daniel v. Daniel

Court: Supreme Court of Georgia | Date Filed: 1983-04-19

Citation: 301 S.E.2d 643, 250 Ga. 849, 1983 Ga. LEXIS 666

Snippet: enforcement of the waiver would contravene OCGA § 19-3-6 (Code Ann. § 53-107), which provides that: "Marriage