We will explain in person how to protect your privacy during this unsteady time in life, when you don’t know who you can trust and who to turn to. Of course, all of your conversations with us will be held in the strictest confidentiality. But there are some steps you can take outside of our office to help protect your personal information during this period. Here are a few suggestions that, as always, do not constitute actual legal advice. It’s important to speak with a member of our Georgia family law team for guidance regarding your specific situation.

1. Change your passwords. Before you were considering a divorce, you and your spouse may have freely shared email accounts, social media accounts, and many other online profiles, each with an accompanying password. If you’re like most people, you probably only have a very limited number of passwords, most of which your spouse will be aware of. You probably even have a notecard with all of your passwords written down on it. The best way to ensure that your spouse is unable to view communication you want to keep private is to change your passwords on your personal accounts. If you don’t have a personal email, now is a good time to set one up, with a totally different password than your usual few.
2. Be careful with your cell phone. If you use your cell phone to communicate with trusted friends and family (or your Georgia divorce attorney) about your divorce, it’s best not to leave it lying around the house. You might even want to get in the habit of clearing your call history and text messages. This may sound like an unnecessary precaution, but it’s too easy to have confidential information exposed simply because you left your cell phone where your spouse could access it.
3. Consider what you say to whom carefully. Before or during a divorce, your natural inclination will be to reach out to friends and family to receive support and guidance. You will definitely need their support and encouragement, but you must be wise about what you say and to whom you say it. Friends that you and your spouse share in some sense equally might not be the best people to open up to. You may be very close with members of your spouse’s family, but it’s not advisable to share any of the details of the divorce with them. Instead, choose a trusted outside resource, especially professionals legally bound by privacy and confidentiality restrictions, such as a licensed therapist, clergy member, and especially a member of our highly rated legal team.

Again, our Georgia divorce lawyers will give you specific advice for your situation, and your conversations with us will always be kept secure and private. Contact us for a free consultation to discuss your case, so that we may assess how we can help you and your children with these important Georgia family law concerns.

Image courtesy DaveBleasdale on Flickr.

If created before January 1, 1997 the state of Georgia will recognize a common law marriage.  Georgia no longer has a common law marriage and there are no circumstances that will allow a couple to form a common law marriage regardless of how long the couple have lived or will live with each other.  However, Georgia may recognize common law marriages that occurred in other states.

The existence of a common law marriage requires the couple to proceed with a formal divorce to end the relationship.  If you are ending a relationship considered to be a common law marriage we advise you to speak with one of our experienced Atlanta divorce attorneys to see what options are available for you. We look forward to hearing from you!