Atlanta GA Divorce Lawyers

Filing for divorce is a big step that should only be taken after serious contemplation. As far as the law is concerned, marriage takes two individuals and makes them into partners. On the personal side a marriage unifies families. The addition of children ads further complexity to the dynamic. These multiple layers of complexity make a divorce a difficult and trying time not only for the parties involved, but their families as well.

The State of Georgia recognizes thirteen different grounds for granting a divorce; one of them, asserting that the marriage is “irretrievably broken,” is a no-fault ground. This is the most commonly used ground for divorce in Georgia. The other twelve require proof of fault, and these include: impotency, marriage between relations, adultery, drug or alcohol addiction, incarceration under certain circumstances, insanity, desertion, and physical or mental cruelty. Successfully proving one of the fault grounds at trial can impact the court’s decision with regard the division of assets, alimony and child custody/visitation.

In order to be able to file for divorce in Georgia, one of the two parties to the case must have been a resident of the state for six months prior to filing for divorce.  Unless the State of Georgia is their permanent residence, military members stationed in Georgia need to have been here a year to establish residence.

The best track for everyone to go down is an uncontested divorce. It saves you money and time and usually leaves the parties in a more amicable situation, something that is very important if there are children involved. Sometimes the parties cannot reach an agreement on their own and they need the guidance of an experienced family law attorney to help them find solutions to their disagreements. When all else fails you need an experienced family law litigator who will effectively present your case to the Superior Court judge who will decide all of the issues left undecided in the divorce.

If you have filed for divorce, or are planning to do so, it is always best to proceed with the representation of an experienced divorce attorney.