Atlanta Georgia Family Law Attorney

In Georgia, the grounds for divorce include adultery, addiction, uncurable mental illness and an irretrievably broken marriage. Many people cite the irretrievable breakdown of their marriage rather than delve into potentially embarrassing situations. That said, adultery, cruel treatment and desertion do get cited fairly often.

Alimony may come into play when one of the spouses would have difficulty supporting himself or herself, especially in the same standard of living as the marriage. If you are getting divorced because of an act that your partner committed, it can be frustrating to think that you may have to pay alimony when he or she is the one who did something wrong. So, will you actually have to pay alimony?

Sometimes your divorce decree is not in your favor. Other times, your financial situation may change after your divorce. Either way, you may not be satisfied with the amount of child support you receive from your ex.

The good news is that you can do something about it. You do not have to settle for something that is not working for you and your children. With the help of an experienced family law attorney, you can have the court modify the original divorce order. 

If you plan to file for divorce in Atlanta, Georgia, there is a high chance your judge will refer your case for mediation at some point. You may also participate in no-cost mediation at the time of scheduled status conferences. Parties may also request mediation on their own without waiting for a referral.

Mediating some or all of the contested issues in your divorce can offer several benefits. However, mediation may not always be the best option. Your attorney can tell you more about whether mediation would benefit you based on the specific circumstances of your case.

If you believe you have fathered a child in Georgia, but you or the child's mother are not completely sure the child is biologically yours, you may want to establish paternity to ensure you have certain legal rights to the child. Conversely, if paternity is yet to be established, you may find yourself forced to submit to testing if you are involved in a child support case.