Sara Khaki
Attorney, Founding PartnerWhen you consider the area of family law, you might think of divorce and other adult issues. In actuality, this area of law covers a wide variety of matters to do with families, children, and parental rights.
In addition to the dissolution of marriage, an Alpharetta family lawyer can assist you with child custody and support orders, adoptions, and even name changes. For any kind of family-related legal issue, retaining a dedicated attorney may be in your best interests
A divorce can be a complicated legal process, and it is important for both partners to have skilled legal professionals representing them.
Some couples reach a settlement quickly, either negotiating directly with each other or using a mediator. These couples can apply for an uncontested divorce, which is quicker and less expensive than a traditional divorce.
Most couples have a contested divorce, meaning that they must resolve issues relating to property division, alimony, child custody, and child support during the legal proceedings. The Fulton County Family Court schedules a series of status conferences to identify the issues that must be resolved and help the parties reach agreement. When the couple is unable to resolve their differences, the divorce will be scheduled for a trial.
We do not practice family law the way it has always been done, but the way it should be done.
WE COUNSEL. WE EDUCATE. WE INFORM.
We replace confusion with clarity, fear with confidence, and hesitation with decisive action. We do not measure our value by how much a client needs us, but by how confidently they can move forward because of us.
WE STRATEGIZE. WE PLAN. WE ACT WITH PURPOSE.
We are not transactional attorneys who just check boxes. Every step we take is connected to a larger strategy designed to serve the client’s long-term life, not just their immediate case.
WE ARE ADVOCATES FOR TRANSFORMATION.
We do not wait and react. We stay ahead so our clients are never catching up, driving the case forward with clarity and intention.
WE PREPARE EVERY CASE AS IF IT WILL BE TRIED.
We do not chase resolution; we create leverage because true settlement power comes from readiness. We settle from strength, never from pressure
Most divorces settle before a trial, but when the couple is in high conflict a trial is more likely. This situation often arises when one of the spouses is determined to “win” and cannot compromise and is seen commonly in narcissistic divorce.
Representing a spouse in a high-conflict divorce requires legal knowledge, personal empathy, and courtroom skills. An Alpharetta spouse ending a marriage to someone who is volatile, manipulative, or controlling should ensure their family attorney is comfortable with high-conflict divorce and has substantial litigation experience.
When making legal decisions concerning youth, Alpharetta courts are required to put the best interests of the child first. This philosophy has been memorialized by O.C.G.A. §15-11-26. Georgia law does not prefer one gender to another on custody matters—fathers and mothers have equal rights to custody.
Parents must develop a parenting plan that includes a detailed schedule of when each parent will have the children. The plan also must address parental decision-making authority, transportation, child support, and similar issues.
In cases regarding child custody and visitation, as well as those concerning child support, the tribunal may use its discretion to consider several factors for the benefit of the children. These considerations include the ages and developmental levels of the children, as well as their need for continuity in their lives. An experienced family attorney in Alpharetta could leverage their expertise with child custody and support issues to help a parent pursue an optimal outcome for themselves and their family.
Detach from the Narcissist: The Divorce Lawyers Guide to Freeing Yourself Whether You Stay or Go is the latest book from divorce attorneys Sara Khaki and Shawna Woods. This powerful guide goes beyond common advice and encourages you to take control of your own healing journey, regardless of whether you choose to stay or leave.
At Atlanta Divorce Law Group, we believe informed clients make better decisions. We offer resources and support to help you understand the divorce and family law process and develop a strategy for your future.
At Atlanta Divorce Law Group, every matter is unique, and our process is designed to ensure you receive guidance tailored to your specific situation.
For many clients, the journey begins with an Initial Strategy Session. This is your first meeting with your attorney, where they will take a deeper dive into your situation, identify your goals, and develop a personalized strategy designed around what matters most to you. We believe our role is not simply to tell you what can be done, but to help you understand your options, evaluate the cost-benefit analysis of every move, and make informed decisions that align with your values, priorities, and long-term goals.
Because family law matters are rarely static, we recognize that litigation is a dynamic chess match. As circumstances evolve, strategy must evolve with them. For that reason, your strategy and the corresponding budget for achieving your goals are treated as living, breathing documents that can be adjusted as new information, opportunities, and challenges arise. This transparency helps ensure you are never blindsided and always understand the strategic thinking driving decisions and costs throughout the process.
Our goal is to demystify both the legal process and the factors that influence cost so that you can become an informed consumer of legal services. By providing clarity around strategy, budgeting, and decision-making, we give you the tools and advocacy to take full ownership of your case and confidently move forward — knowing that every investment is tied to a specific objective and a purposeful outcome.
The decisions made during a divorce can impact your financial future for years to come. Our financial resources help clients better understand budgeting, property division, support obligations, and long-term financial planning.
Children do best when parents have the tools to navigate change thoughtfully. We provide resources focused on parenting plans, co-parenting communication, child-centered decision-making, and helping children adjust during family transitions.
Our team regularly creates educational blogs, videos, books, and family law content designed to answer common questions and help individuals better understand the divorce process.
A divorce decree alone does not create peace of mind. True confidence comes from knowing you have gathered the information you need, explored your options, and made decisions you can live with long after your case is over.
Hosted by Founder Sara Khaki and Managing Partner Shawna Woods, the Happily Ever After Divorce® Podcast provides candid conversations about divorce, co-parenting, relationships, boundaries, and personal growth.
Our Divorce Support Group provides a safe, supportive environment for current and former clients, as well as individuals who have completed a consultation with our firm. Led by licensed mental health professionals, these meetings help participants process their situation and connect with others navigating similar experiences.
Written by Sara Khaki and Shawna Woods, the book offers practical guidance for individuals dealing with high-conflict relationships. It provides tools to help readers regain clarity, establish healthy boundaries, and make informed decisions whether they choose to stay or leave the relationship.
Throughout the year, our attorneys and trusted professionals host educational webinars on important family law topics, including child custody, high-conflict personalities, divorce planning, financial considerations, prenuptial agreements, and life after divorce.
Unlike firms that divide their attention among multiple practice areas, our practice is devoted exclusively to divorce and family law matters. At Atlanta Divorce Law Group, we believe in the philosophy that a jack of all trades is a master of none — when it comes to protecting your family, financial future, and parental rights, focused experience matters.
With more than 120 years of combined family law experience, our attorneys regularly collaborate on cases, sharing ideas, strategies, and perspectives. When you hire Atlanta Divorce Law Group, you benefit from the collective knowledge of an entire legal team.
Family law is rarely confined to family law alone — it often intersects with criminal matters, financial complexity, child welfare, and mental health, among other areas. Our team’s backgrounds reflect that reality. With experience spanning criminal litigation, child advocacy, guardianship matters, counseling, psychology, Guardian ad Litem work, complex financial cases, and courtroom litigation — among other areas — our attorneys bring perspectives that go beyond a single area of law. This diversity of experience shapes how each attorney approaches your case, offering insight that a narrower background wouldn’t provide.
Thorough preparation strengthens negotiations, creates leverage during settlement discussions, and ensures our clients are positioned for success whether their case resolves through agreement, mediation, or litigation.
Our Atlanta divorce and family law attorneys have over 120 years of experience combined. They have a trial litigation background and legal experience that has created an unrivaled collaborative internal system to handle complex cases.
When a family unit is threatened by divorce or a custody battle, we have the expertise to step in and help minimize the impact on the family’s well-being and their financial security. The mundane, day-to-day problems that divorce creates are the issues that frustrate and wear down most families through this emotional process.
We view challenging family law matters as structured legal problems that require preparation, analysis, and decisive advocacy. Our disciplined approach ensures consistent, high-level representation, even in high-conflict or high-asset cases.
Adults in Alpharetta seeking to change their name or their name and gender may file a petition in the Fulton County court with the help of a family attorney. When someone under 18 seeks to change their name, their parents may file a petition on their behalf.
The court will ensure that the change is not motivated by an attempt to elude creditors or for other improper reasons. There may be a delay in finalizing name and gender alterations if someone objects. Under O.C.G.A. §19-12-2, a family court may hold a hearing concerning a name change to rule on written objections to the change in surname.
Sometimes people wish to change their name to avoid a domestic abuser, human trafficker, or for other safety reasons. The courts have procedures to protect the identity of persons seeking to change their name to avoid threats to their safety. It may be beneficial to have legal representation at such court dates.
Children have the right to share in the financial resources of both their parents. When parents live apart, one parent pays child support to the other. Usually, the parent who spends less time with the children pays support to the parent who provides a home for the children most of the time.
Child support is determined by a formula that considers the gross income of both parents, the number of children they are supporting, and necessary expenses such as childcare and health insurance for the children. Depending on the family’s specific circumstances, the amount the formula produces may be subject to adjustment.
Adjustments are possible when a parent has an unusually high or low income, when the parents share custody roughly equally, and when a child has special medical or educational needs. Involving an Alpharetta family attorney in the child support calculation ensures that the child support amount is appropriate and complies with the law.
As there are many subsections of family law, there are also several types of adoptions. Couples may choose to adopt a child through a private agency or a state entity, but blood relatives or stepparents can officially adopt a child as well through specific procedures.
Blood relatives and family members related by marriage may adopt children under Official Code of Georgia §19-8-7. If the child is 14 years of age or older, however, they must give their written permission before they can be adopted.
According to state law, the list of qualified family members who may adopt children includes the child’s grandparents. A capable Alpharetta family attorney may have had experience with child adoptions by relatives and could offer further guidance.
When a mother or father marries someone new, their children may develop a bond with the new spouse. Per O.C.G.A. §19-8-6, stepparents may adopt the children of their partner in marriage. However, stepparents in Atlanta may only legally adopt the children of their spouse when the other natural parent relinquishes their rights to them in writing or passes away.
Although some private adoption agencies continue to discriminate against same-sex couples, gay couples have the same rights as others to adopt a child. Many such couples adopt through the foster care system or use Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) to have children. In the case of ART, the non-biological parent must adopt the child to have legal parental rights.
When one partner enters a marriage with a biological or adopted child, a stepparent adoption is possible. Alpharetta same-sex couples should speak with an experienced family law team to formalize their parental relationships with their children.

Our experienced Alpharetta, Georgia divorce and family lawyers understand that divorce may be a complicated, emotional time for you. Many important decisions need to be made that consider your current situation as well as your future.
An attorney can work to help you emerge from your divorce in a better financial, legal, and personal situation than you may have imagined. Call today to schedule a consultation.