North Druid Hills Family Lawyer
Changes within your family can create legal questions that require clear answers. You may need to establish support or enforce an order that another party is ignoring. A North Druid Hills family lawyer from our firm can help you understand the process and prepare for what comes next.
Our family attorneys provide focused support for family law matters. We can explain which documents are important, what Georgia family courts require, and how related family law obligations may affect your case.
Types of Family Law Cases We Handle
Our North Druid Hills family law attorneys represent clients in a wide range of domestic relations matters, including divorce, child custody and visitation, child support, alimony, and property division. We also assist with legal separation, legitimation, paternity, modifications, contempt matters, and other family law disputes. Whether your matter can be resolved through negotiation or requires litigation, we can help you understand your rights and legal options.
How Does the State Calculate Child Support?
The state uses an income-sharing model rather than a percentage of one parent’s earnings to calculate child support. The guidelines appear in the Official Code of Georgia Annotated. Under O.C.G.A. § 19-6-15, Georgia family courts begin the calculation process with a child support worksheet, identify each parent’s gross income, and then make authorized adjustments. The basic child support obligation that corresponds to the combined adjusted income appears in a statutory table.
Each parent receives a proportional share of that obligation. Additional expenses and permitted deviations may affect the final amount. Travel expenses relating to parenting time can support a deviation if they meet statutory requirements.
Income documentation matters because the parents’ earnings serve as the basis for the calculation. Wages may be straightforward, while self-employment income and other variable earnings may require closer review. Our North Druid Hills family attorneys can help organize financial records and identify income information that belongs in your family’s child-support calculation.
Stepparent Adoption and Existing Parental Rights
A stepparent adoption can formalize the relationship between that individual and the child they are parenting on a daily basis. O.C.G.A. § 19-8-6 concerns adoption by a parent’s spouse. The statute addresses necessary consent and—if the other legal parent is alive—the surrender of their rights.
The central issue is that an adoption does not simply add a parent. The other legal parent generally must surrender their rights. If they do not, termination must rest on statutory grounds before the adoption can proceed. The petition must therefore reflect the family’s legal circumstances, not just the bond between the stepparent and the child. If your family in North Druid Hills is dealing with a stepparent adoption, our lawyers can evaluate the available facts before filing.
Enforcement of Legal Orders
A Georgia family court order carries legal force. You do not have to accept missed payments or other compliance failures. O.C.G.A. § 19-6-28 allows Georgia family courts to enforce alimony and child support orders through contempt proceedings. O.C.G.A. § 19-6-32 addresses income deduction orders, which direct a payor to withhold support from an obligor’s earnings. These orders can make payment less dependent on voluntary action.
Enforcement requires a clear record. The following materials can help show a legal order’s requirements and your ex-spouse’s missed payments:
- Payment histories;
- Account records;
- Prior orders; and
- Written communications.
Our family law team in North Druid Hills can help organize this documentation and present a clear enforcement request.
Call Our North Druid Hills Attorneys About Your Family Law Matters
Family law procedures can affect your financial stability and important relationships with your loved ones. A North Druid Hills family lawyer from our firm can provide focused representation, help you understand filing requirements, and prepare the necessary records.
Our attorneys at the Atlanta Divorce Law Group are skilled at handling family law matters. Contact us today to meet with a member of our team.
