Here’s what you need to know about alimony in Georgia:

• In Georgia, alimony is awarded based on the particular financial needs of either spouse, and also on the projected capability of each spouse to earn income. Although alimony is typically thought of as applying only to women, it isn’t based on gender, so if the husband has demonstrated financial need and can’t earn income, there’s a possibility for him to be awarded alimony in Georgia.
• Georgia law separates alimony into temporary and permanent. Temporary alimony is sometimes awarded in GA during the divorce process to provide financial stability to the spouse that is dependent on the other. Permanent alimony is usually incorporated into the final divorce decree, and how it is paid out, whether lump sum, periodically, or a combination of both is established at this time.
• A variety of factors go into determining alimony payments in GA. Some of the top considerations include the standard of living each spouse had during marriage, how long the marriage lasted, the physical and emotional condition of each spouse, other financial resources the parties might have, and more.
• In Georgia, alimony typically ends if the spouse receiving alimony remarries or passes away.

The final most important thing to know about alimony in Georgia is that it is often a hotly contested issue during a divorce, so it’s imperative to have an experienced Atlanta divorce attorney on your side throughout the process to ensure you receive the alimony payments you deserve. If you would like to speak with one of our divorce attorneys in Atlanta about your alimony concerns, simply fill out the form to the left or give our office a call for a free consultation.

Image courtesy gwilmore on Flickr.

Here are a few things to consider regarding determining child custody visitation schedules in Georgia during the holidays:

1. Prepare to alternate. Unless there are important extenuating circumstances, such as one parent being considered by the court to be totally unsuitable to retain custody of the child at any time, one of the most popular child custody visitation arrangements in Georgia is to alternate holidays on a yearly basis. So if your children spend Thanksgiving with you this year, they might be required to spend it with your spouse next year. The same is true for other major holidays that you traditionally celebrate as a family.
2. Splitting time equally. Another popular option to consider is the provision under Georgia child custody law to simply split the time spent on holidays each year. This most often takes the form of the child or children having a Thanksgiving meal at one parent’s house earlier in the day, and then going to the other parent’s house for a second meal later in the day, for example.
3. Your children may have a say. Depending on the age of your child or children and the particular Georgia child custody schedule you work out with the assistance of our attorneys, your child may be able to state their preference in the matter. Again, this all depends on the particularities of your case and how skillfully an Atlanta divorce lawyer is able to guide you through this process.

If you’re wondering about how divorce might affect your ability to spend time with your children during the holidays, contact one of our experienced Georgia child custody lawyers for a free consultation. Simply fill out the form to the left and a member of our legal team will get back to you.

Image courtesy Brad Trump Photography on Flickr.

When you do decide to adopt, it’s important to know all of the steps and requirements.

Requirements:

• Be at least 25 and 10 years older than the child
• If you’re married, be at least 10 years older than the child
• Criminal Record Review
• Home Safety Assessment
• Medical Exams
• References
• Drug Testing
• Orientation
• Pre-service training
• Home evaluation

The DHS Georgia Adoption Process is as follows:

Step 1: Inquiry

• Contact DHS
• Answer a few questions
• Schedule an interview

Step 2: Orientation

An orientation meeting will allow you to:

• Learn important info about the Georgia adoption process and requirements
• See the pictures of children who need a home

You should carefully consider all of the information before moving on to…

Step 3: IMPACT

Next, you’ll need to take 20 hours of adoption preparation classes. These programs will educate you on:

• General Children’s Info
• Behavior Management Skills
• Adoption’s Effects on a Family
• What the Agency Can Do for You
• And much more

DHS’s particular program is known as IMPACT:

• Initial Interest
• Mutual Selection
• Pre-Service Training
• Assessment
• Continuing Development
• Teamwork

Step 4: Evaluation

After all classwork and assessment is complete:

• Your Family Evaluation will be given to the Adoption Exchange
• You will be considered a possible parent to a child in need of adoption

Step 5: Pre-Placement

• The time you wait before adopting will vary
• Check photolistings to view potential children
• Attend matching meetings and events

Step 6: Placement

• Identify a specific child or county you want to adopt in
• If DHS approves you, you’ll get to see more information about the child
• A meeting to ask questions and schedule visits
• When you sign a placement agreement, the child will become a part of your family!
• If the child is Special Needs: you may qualify for additional Adoption Assistance
• The agency and your case manager will provide continual support

Step 7: Finalization

After a child is placed in your home, you need to legally finalize the adoption:

• File an adoption petition with a lawyer
• County Superior Court Hearing
• Once the legal process is over, visits are no longer necessary

If you need representation for a gay adoption in Georgia, make sure you get the help of an experienced LGBT Georgia Adoption Lawyer !

Unfortunately, if you’re reading this, you may not have to imagine it at all. According to data collected by The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2009, the total amount of late and unpaid Georgia Child Support was $2,471,650,925! Even more disturbing is the fact that this number was actually a 5.1% decrease from 2008 (U.S. H.H.S State Boxscores). In some cases, the problem becomes so severe that the single parent can post the name and information of the delinquent mother or father on the Most Wanted Georgia Child Support Evaders list. To be on this list, the following criteria must be met:

• Arrears (amount owed) must be more than $5,000
• No payments have been made within the last 6 months
• The Division of Child Support Services has used all possible location resources

Sadly, the real victim in Georgia Child Support Evasion is ultimately the child. If your children are suffering because one of their parents is running away from their responsibilities, know your rights! Contact a Georgia Child Support Lawyer as soon as possible to fight for your child’s best interests. You may be the only one who is.

With such a high divorce rate, it follows that the South has more children affected by divorce than anywhere else in the United States. Sadly, the same study found that children who live with a divorced parent are more likely to be below the poverty level. That’s what makes Alpharetta Child Custody cases so important. To make sure that your child is taken care of, you should get the help of an Alpharetta Child Custody Attorney when filing.

A judge at the Fulton County Superior Court will have the final say regarding child custody and will consider such factors as:

• The age and the sex of the child
• Compatibility of the child with each parent
• The ability of each parent to care for the child

While you might find some resources that allow you to complete divorce forms on your own, issues involving Alpharetta Child Custody Law are too legally complicated and emotionally sensitive to process alone. If you’re filing for a divorce, you should definitely seek the help of an Alpharetta Child Custody Lawyer in order to protect the best interests of the ones you love: your children.

Contact our Alpharetta Child Custody attorneys today to schedule a free consultation. Simply fill out the form to the left or call us at (770) 744-5552.

Such efforts reduce human resources expenditures by reducing the turnover rate for employees. Instead of hiring expensive outside talent or consultants for management tasks, a company can develop its own expertise in house. Instead of spending money on searches for new talent and going through the expense and hassle of getting them up to speed on an organization’s processes and procedures, a company can train people already familiar with them.

Reduction of Relocation Expenses

Another benefit of leadership development programs is that the training resources are used for people with proven loyalty to the organization. The biggest risk to bringing in an outsider is that he or she will not adjust to the company and soon leave. This can be a real big drain on resources and funds, especially if relocation expenses are required.

Numerous organizations have spent a fortune paying bonuses, salary and relocation expenses for new talent, only to have that talent leave after a few months. Instead of hiring somebody from across the country, that may not like your community and quickly move away, why not develop a leader from inside who has an established life in the community.

Keep the Valuable Talent That You Already Have

Leadership development programs can also be a great way of rewarding loyalty to your organization. One reason for the high turnover rate at many agencies and firms is that employees do not feel rewarded for their loyalty and work. They know that any management openings will go to an outsider with a fancy degree and an impressive resume so they do not commit to the organization. Worse, knowing that there is little or no chance for advancement they leave at the first chance they can.

This reduction in employee engagement can deprive an organization of its hardest working and more knowledgeable people. An effective management training and leadership training program can show workers that the organization believes in them. If the workers know there is a chance of advancement they will be more likely to commit to the organization. This can reduce turnover and human resources expenditures.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Cynthia Wright decided in Gary’s favor and awarded a reduction of the support from $28,000 to $5,000 in November 2005. The superior Court Judge told Diana Gowins who is a former nurse to work for a living and watch her lavish spending but she refused to do the court’s advice and pointed out that she has the right to be a stay-at-home mother. She appealed the decision to the court of appeals.

In 2007, The Georgia court of Appeals reversed the decision of Judge Wright and ordered Gary to pay $300,000 to Diana Gowins to get caught up in the monthly support and start paying $28,000 a month again. Gowin’s lawyer argued that Gary makes more than $13 million a year so the $28,000 he gives out monthly is just in proportion to a man who pays $280 a month as support if they earn $130,000 annually.

Kenny Shattan, Gary’s lawyer, appealed the Appellate Court’s decision to the Atlanta Supreme court for finality (CA No. A07A0979: Gowins vs. Gary).

Disclaimer: Our blog moderator occasionally allows guest blog post authors to post blogs of interest on our blog. The above blog post is a guest blog post. The author is not an attorney and is not affiliated with this or any law firm. This post should not be mistaken for legal advice. You should not act or rely on any information in this blog without seeking the advice of an attorney.

The reason that everyone should have a Will is simple: If you don’t have a Will the courts will decide what happens to your money, property and children after your death.

In most cases the court will take the easy way out and give your money and property to your closest living relative. This means that somebody you don’t like or trust could end up with your house, your bank accounts, your valuables and everything else you have.

If you want one particular person who is not related to you to have something of yours, or inherit everything, you will have to have a Will. If there is no Will that individual could be left with nothing. Especially in the case of domestic partnerships in Georgia, since same-sex couples are not legally allowed to marry in Georgia, gay couples must be especially vigilant about maintaining a Will and should speak with one of our family law attorneys about protecting the legal rights of their partners.

Creating a Last Will and Testament in Georgia:

Fortunately, the average Georgia Will doesn’t have to be that complex. If you don’t have that much money or property, a basic Will should suffice. Our attorneys will maintain a hard copy of the Will, and make sure it is legally signed and notarized.

Your heir should have a copy of the Will. Always make sure your heirs are aware of the Will and know where to find it. If you have more than one heir make sure each of them has a copy of it.  In some cases it might be a good idea to have a copy of the Will placed with a business manager or friend you trust. This would be an excellent idea if the heir is a child or teenager or lives in another country.

According to Georgia family law, the courts are to “equitably distribute” marital property.  This begs two questions.  What is equitable, and what is marital property?  Neither question is what it first appears.

Equitable distribution is best described as what is fair, rather than what is equal.  So if the court decides that a 60-40 split is more fair than a 50-50 split of the property, than that is what the court will do.  The court can base its reasoning on any number of factors, including how much each spouse contributed to the purchase of the property, each spouse’s occupation, if the divorce was “for cause,” if there are children, who has primary custody of the children, etc.  In short, the court can consider almost any factor which would help it arrive at a fair or equitable distribution of the Georgia marital property.

Georgia marital property is, in layman’s terms, property acquired during and as a part of the marriage.  The most common example is a house jointly bought by a husband and wife.  Property owned individually before the marriage, such as bank accounts, is not considered marital property.  Further, property acquired individually during the marriage is often not considered marital property.  For example, if the husband receives a gift of golf clubs from a friend as a birthday present, or the wife inherits some family heirlooms from her parents while they are married, the property is often considered to be separate.  Individual property can become marital property, however, if one is not careful.  For example, if the husband buys himself a car with his own money, but allows his wife to use the car for family errands, it might be “converted” into marital property by the court.

As you can see, the division of property upon divorce can become very complicated, very quickly.  The facts of each case often make or break the separation of marital assets settlement, and we recommend that you have one of our GA divorce attorneys on your side to make sure you aren’t taken advantage of.

Taking The First Step

As can be seen above, issues regarding the separation of marital property can be confusing and sometimes murky, and the help of an experienced attorney to help ensure that your interests are well protected will be invaluable. If you are dealing with a GA divorce, we advise you to speak with one of our divorce lawyers sooner rather than later.  Please note that for a typical divorce, our law firm retainer begins at $2,500.00.  If you would like to talk with one of our family law attorneys about representing you, either fill out the brief form to your left or give us a call.

As the legal end to a marriage, filing for a divorce in Georgia can be initiated by one spouse or agreed upon by both spouses.  If you are going through a divorce,  it can get emotionally tiring and upsetting, as well as legally complicated, and if you live in or near Sandy Springs, GA, we recommend consulting with one of our experienced divorce lawyers.

Two of the biggest problems that may affect your marriage and result in a divorce are irreconcilable differences and money issues. In the state of Georgia, hiring an educated and knowledgeable attorney will be very important when it comes to protecting your rights regarding your divorce case. The law firm of Kitchens, New & Cleghorn, LLC is committed to helping you obtain excellent results for your divorce case. Our prime objective  is to reach amicable and reasonable resolutions for our clients, and to litigate when no other options are available.

Our Sandy Springs divorce attorneys are experienced in handling Georgia family law cases in the following areas:

+  Uncontested Divorces
+  Mediation
+  Division of Property
+  Alimony/Spousal Support
+  Child Custody
+  Child Support

If your case requires vigorous negotiation, mediation or trial, we possess the legal knowledge and courtroom experience to protect your interests.

In case you are filing for divorce, feel free to get in touch with us today and speak to our divorce attorneys. For a free consultation with one of our Sandy Springs family law attorneys, either fill out the brief form to your left, or feel free to give us a call.