Studies have shown that for many people, separation and divorce rank second only to the death of a loved one in terms of emotional turmoil, pain and stress.  Not only are separation and divorce accompanied by feelings of guilt, rejection, embarrassment, and anger, but the legal process also triggers feelings of fear and uncertainty.  Divorce does not have to be a lonely, painful, and frightening experience. The right attorney will help you through the many issues involved in a divorce, clarifying the legal procedures, helping to establish your goals, and proposing positive strategy to achieve realistic results.

        Divorce can also be a financially devastating event.  Although a spouse can not prevent an unwanted divorce, their failure to cooperate can delay the process significantly and cause the cost to increase dramatically.  Divorces range from the fairly friendly "uncontested" to World War III and the associated legal fees depend on which end of the spectrum the divorce lies.

Issues to be Resolved in Obtaining a Divorce   

     Divorces generally focus on two issues: Money and Children.  Vengeance, anger, hatred, fear, and a variety of other emotions also play a significant role.  A divorce requires the resolution of several issues, including:

       If you and your spouse can agree on how you are going to divide your marital property and marital debt and, if applicable, the custody and visitation of your minor children, you can file an uncontested divorce. Even though your divorce is uncontested, an experienced attorney is important.  It's not uncommon to see an uncontested divorce unnecessarily delayed due to errors in document preparation and procedure by an inexperienced attorney.

        A divorce is  considered contested if the parties can't agree on the division of property, debt, alimony, and child custody visitation.  Contested cases involving child custody are usually the most complicated, expensive and emotionally gut-wrenching.  Custody cases usually require the appointment of a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) to make a custody evaluation and may also involve a psychological assessment which the Judge relies upon in determining custody.

Resolution through Mediation 

       If the parties are unable to reach agreement, many metro-Atlanta counties require parties to participate in mediation prior to a final trial.  Each county has different rules pertaining to mediation.  Some counties provide mediators free of charge; in other counties, mediators charge between $100 - $200 per hour.

 Divorcing Parents Seminar

       Many metro-Atlanta counties also require parties who have minor children to attend a "Divorcing Parents Seminar" prior to the divorce being granted.  Each county has their own program, usually run by an agency such as Families First.