Cooke v. Cooke

The wife who currently resides in Britain is subject to jurisdiction under Georgia's domestic relations long-arm statute because she resided in Georgia from 1992 until at least 1997 and she purposely availed herself of the privilege of maintaining a matrimonial domicile in this state.

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Appellant Hugh Cooke appeals the trial court’s dismissal of his complaint for divorce due to jurisdictional infirmities. Having reviewed the record, we conclude the trial court erred in determining that the appellee, Miranda Cooke, is not subject to long-arm jurisdiction in Georgia and that Fulton County is not the proper venue for this case. To the extent the trial court found that Hugh Cooke failed to establish he is a domiciliary of Georgia, that conclusion, too, is erroneous. Therefore, we reverse. Hugh Cooke is an Irish citizen and Miranda Cooke is a citizen of Great Britain. In 1991, the parties were married in Britain and then moved to Ohio to oversee the management of their company, which is registered to conduct business in the United States. In 1992, the Cookes relocated their business to Georgia and bought a home in Fulton County. In 1997, Hugh, Miranda, and their five oldest children obtained permanent resident status in the United States the youngest child being an American citizen by birthright. Since moving to this country in 1991, the Cookes have maintained a second home in Great Britain, where Miranda and the children currently reside.

All of the Cookes’ six children were born in Great Britain except the youngest, who was born in Georgia. The children were educated in Fulton County public schools until 1999, when the older children enrolled in British schools. At that time, Miranda and the children returned to Britain, where they have since remained while Hugh has continued to reside at the couple’s Georgia residence. Miranda and the children have returned to Georgia for brief periods during school vacations and in the summer, and Hugh has traveled to Britain to see his family.

Cooke v. Cooke

The wife who currently resides in Britain is subject to jurisdiction under Georgia's domestic relations long-arm statute because she resided in Georgia from 1992 until at least 1997 and she purposely availed herself of the privilege of maintaining a matrimonial domicile in this state.

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