Deciding to divorce your spouse is one of your life’s most stressful and excruciating decisions. Suddenly, your life is turned upside down.
Beyond the emotional distress of separation, you face other potentially life-changing dilemmas, such as:
If you’re considering a Georgia divorce, you need an Atlanta divorce attorney at Edwards Family Law to help answer these questions about child custody, divorce proceedings, and other family law matters.
Our family law firm will work to safeguard your rights and try to resolve the matter as favorably as possible.
To get a divorce in Georgia, you and your attorney need to select one of 13 grounds, including:
Your Atlanta divorce lawyer will advise you about determining grounds for divorce under Georgia law.
A divorce lawyer has the skill and experience to handle four critical aspects of your divorce.
If you and your spouse decide to divorce, the money and property accumulated during the union must be divided. Some divorcing spouses agree quickly on how to split the marital property and assets. But not always.
Under Georgia law, the divorce court must follow the Equitable Distribution Principle for property division, meaning the assets must be divided in the fairest way possible
However, this principle doesn’t necessarily mean a 50/50 split. One spouse can receive more property or assets than the other. It depends on the circumstances.
The divorce court will make this decision after reviewing critical factors, including:
One of divorce’s most stressful and painful parts is deciding who gets the children. Our law firm understands how difficult it is to agree on child custody and will strive for the best solution.
There are two types of child custody under Georgia law:
In most cases, both custody types are shared by the spouses.
It is common for parents to get joint legal custody, meaning both parties must cooperate in making significant decisions about the children, such as medical and educational choices.
Physical custody of the children is also usually shared. But one parent is typically chosen to hold primary physical custody. The other has secondary physical custody.
The divorce court will decide on physical custody by considering several factors. The most important one is who has been the significant caregiver during the marriage.
Parents in Georgia must provide for their children. Child support in divorce is one way to be sure the children are still cared for even after the couple splits. Georgia law states that children are entitled to sustenance and support according to their needs. However, these needs are only limited by the finances of the parents.
A parent must offer child support for basics: food, shelter, and clothing. But they must also provide financial support for education, transportation, medical and dental services, and other essential components of a child’s overall development.
The judge can decide child support in your divorce case or if both parties agree on their own.
Georgia judges may order temporary or permanent alimony. Temporary alimony may be awarded if one spouse requires financial support while the case is pending. Permanent alimony sounds intimidating, but it’s usually for a limited period.
The court may order spousal support based on these and other factors:
Divorce can be upsetting and devastating, but there’s hope for a favorable outcome. Our team has been practicing family law for decades and can assist if you need help with your divorce in Georgia. Edwards Family Law’s legal team has the experience and compassion it takes to handle family law cases and complex family law litigation.
We’ll listen to your concerns, gather the necessary information, and decide on the best course of action in your divorce process. Schedule your consultation online. Regain your peace of mind by having our divorce attorneys handle your case.
Each case is different, but we can share what clients typically struggle with when they make their initial calls to us:
The financial aspect of family law matters can be terrifying because it has been historically known as a black hole of billing with retainers and hourly charges for things like emails and texts. Peel back further uncertainty by Estimating Your Legal Fees.
While other firms might tell you “there is no way to predict the total cost of a divorce,” we can tell you with certainty that those smoke and mirrors will not be a part of your care at Edwards Family Law. We provide value with a high degree of peace of mind through conscientious costs for our care. Learn more about our Flat Fee Family Law and Estate Planning Services.
Fast, organized, and professional. Her assistant was just as great assisting me get my own information organized. She was the perfect counsel for my situation and addressing opposing counsel. I highly recommend.
Great service team! Fast and efficient home closings. Easy to find in Downtown Wetumpka.
Regina is such a professional and knowledgeable attorney. I will gladly refer client to her with their family legal needs.
Professional and attentive staff. Our office has partnered with Edwards and Edwards on real estate closings and all good experiences.
Highly Recommend!!! Regina and her team provide an incredibly smooth client-experience where you know exactly what is expected of you, and what they are going to do for you. Their communication policy is odd at first, but results in excellent communication, they have tremendous knowledge of the law, and do what they say the will do.
According to Georgia law, at least one spouse needs to have lived in the state for at least six months before filing.
Georgia law does not recognize legal separation. However, a divorce alternative called separate maintenance is offered, similar to divorce. It allows the couple to resolve alimony, child support, and custody.
To qualify, you must be legally married to your spouse. Also, you must be living separately. Finally, there can be no pending divorce action.
The separate maintenance process allows you to stay married but live separately unless one or both request a divorce.
If the divorce is uncontested, the family court can grant your divorce in as few as 31 days. However, the timeline often hinges on how many cases are on the court calendar.
Headed for divorce and not sure where to start? Ending your marriage is an emotionally taxing...
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