How is Child Custody Decided in Georgia? Rest assured that in the state of Georgia there are no assumptions in the law determining which parent deserves custody of the child. The myth that the court favors the mothers has been proven false time and time again. That is great news for fathers, and even better […]
Divorce & Children With Special Needs
What to Expect from a Guardian ad Litem During Your Divorce Matter Involving a Special Needs Child A major part of our family law practice involves working with couples and families going through the divorce process. In many divorce cases, complex issues such as child custody, child support, parenting time, alimony, and financial or property […]
Parenting Time Exchange: Anxiety in Young Children Part 1
Advice for custodial parents when their child objects to spending time with one of their parents. It is common for young children whose parents are no longer together to, at some point, express that they do not wish to spend time, or wish to spend less time, with one of their parents, most commonly the […]
Drug Abuse and Custody Cases: Evaluation and Visitation
Substance abuse evaluations may confirm drug use and recommend treatment, while supervised visitation protects children in cases of ongoing drug abuse. As discussed in a previous blog, heroin and prescription opioid abuse is an escalating public health crisis that is sweeping across Georgia. As a result, more and more child custody cases involve drug use […]
Legally Changing a Child’s Name After Divorce
If a court issues an order determining who the legal and/or biological father of a child is, that same court can change the child’s name as it sees fit. In a recent Supreme Court of Georgia decision, Denney v. Denney, Husband and Wife separated days after getting married. Wife filed for divorce while she was […]
Lump Sum Child Support Payments
Several family law lawyers say a Sept. 20 Georgia Supreme Court ruling that affirmed a lower court’s grant of a lump-sum child support payment to cover 13 years of care sets a “dangerous” precedent because it grants one parent a large sum of cash without oversight. But the court said nothing in the child support […]
You can obtain sole legal and physical custody when a parent is unfit.
The Court of Appeals issued a decision on February 18, 2013 enforcing a trial court’s decision to award sole legal and physical custody of the parties’ two year old child to the mother. In this case, the father was an alcoholic, failed to attempt to see his child for several months and lacked judgment to […]
Legitimation is not always warranted.
On March 15, 2013, the Court of Appeals approved a trial court’s decision not to legitimate a child. Basically, the father was not allowed to have any rights to custody or visitation for the child and could not legally claim the child as his own. In that case, the father waited until the child was […]
Child Support Modification in Georgia
As part of divorce in Georgia, the court will decide how much money is expected for the support and maintenance of the children. Once the court orders child support, that order can only be changed if one of the parents seeks modification of the original order through the court. Whether to increase or decrease the […]
Helping Your Child Overcome Gender Stereotypes
Many people believe boys should be courageous and strong, while girls must be nurturing and delicate; boys should strive for dominance and be active, while girls must be passive and submissive. Unfortunately, gender stereotypes can have a harmful effect on both men and women. As parents, we are sometimes inadvertently reinforcing stereotyping. Whether you compliment […]
