In 2006, Scott Appling filed a petition to legitimate his biological son, L. T. T., who was born on November 8, 2004. The child’s mother, Dawn Tatum, filed an answer and counterclaim to establish custody, visitation, and child support. After a bench trial, the trial court awarded joint legal custody to both parents, physical custody and child support in the amount of $2,200 monthly to Tatum, and visitation rights to Appling. The trial court also ordered Appling to pay Tatum $10,000 in attorney’s fees, pursuant to OCGA § 19-6-2. On appeal, Appling challenges the trial court’s denial of his motion for continuance, its calculation of child support, its failure to make specific findings of fact, and its award of attorney’s fees. We affirm the trial court’s judgment on all matters except its award of attorney’s fees because OCGA § 19-6-2 only applies to alimony and divorce cases. 1. In his first enumerated error, Appling argues that the trial court erred in denying his motion for continuance. “All applications for continuances are addressed to the sound legal discretion of the court and, if not expressly provided for, shall be granted or refused as the ends of justice may require.”1 As an appellate court, we will not disturb the exercise of that discretion unless the discretion is manifestly abused.2
Appling was not present on the day of trial, August 16, 2007. Appling’s counsel filed a motion for continuance, which included a letter from a physician, stating that Appling had extensive maxillofacial surgery on August 15, 2007, and would not be available for trial until November 6, 2007. Appling’s counsel argued that Appling’s presence was necessary to explain his income and how it might be affected by the outcome of his surgery, and in support of his argument, relied on OCGA § 9-10-154. This statute provides that “if either party is providentially prevented from attending the trial of a case, and the counsel of the absent party will state in his place that he cannot go safely to trial without the presence of the absent party, the case shall be continued, provided the continuances of the party have not been exhausted.” In this case, a total of seven requests for continuances were made, five of which were filed by Appling. During the hearing on the continuance, the court indicated that Appling knew about his illness when he filed his petition and that several continuances had been granted due to his illness. Additionally, the court noted that the hearing date had been set in consideration of Appling’s surgery, which was originally scheduled to occur after the hearing. Exercising its discretion, the trial court denied Appling’s request for yet another continuance. We will not disturb the trial court’s decision. Where there have been several continuances of the case because of a party’s illness, the court does not abuse its discretion when it denies yet another motion by that party to continue the case for the same cause.3
