Bates v. Bates

Blackwell, Judge.

Under Georgia law, a judgment entered by a court without jurisdiction is void, Carpenter v. Carpenter, 276 Ga. 746, 747 (1) (583 SE2d 852) (2003), and generally speaking, such a judgment “may be attacked in any court, by any person, at any time.” James v. Intown Ventures, 290 Ga. 813, 816 (2), n. 5 (725 SE2d 213) (2012). See also Cabrel v. Lum, 289 Ga. 233, 235 (1) (710 SE2d 810) (2011) (“[A] judgment void for lack of personal or subject-matter jurisdiction may be attacked at any time.”). But in some circumstances, these principles must yield to competing principles that…