Sandy Springs Divorce Lawyer

Divorce is a difficult experience for any couple to go through. This stressful time can cause people to make rash decisions based on hurt feelings, spite, or anger. However, even though you may be feeling frustrated and angry, it is important to keep a cool head and refrain from making any decisions or entering any agreements without making sure you are fully protected.

An experienced Sandy Springs divorce lawyer can help protect your best interests at all stages of the marriage dissolution process. Our dedicated family attorneys can listen with compassion and effectively prepare to take on any situation, no matter how delicate or complex.

Issues that Typically Arise in Sandy Springs Divorce Cases

While the details of every divorce are unique and dependent on the circumstances of the couple, there are some common issues that couples typically face, especially if they share children or property. A qualified attorney in our area can assist anyone seeking a divorce with managing any of the following issues and more.

Alimony

A court could determine if and how much spousal support should be granted to the lesser-earning spouse. The court could also determine how often and how long these payments will be made.

Division of Property

Georgia Family Courts divide property according to equitable distribution principles. The split need not be exactly equal but it should be fair given the circumstances.

Any property that belonged to a spouse before marriage is their separate property. Anything they inherited or received as a gift is also theirs alone. Everything else either spouse acquired during the marriage is marital property and must be divided fairly.

If a couple owns property together in Sandy Springs, a judge may have to decide how to equitably divide the property between the two spouses if they cannot agree on their own. The court retains this authority even if their ruling means that the property must be sold.

Debt

If there is a significant debt between a couple, the court could determine who would be responsible for paying off the debt. Again, the practice of equitable distribution would be applied here as it would be for real property.

Although both spouses are responsible for marital debt, a Family Court judge might not just divide it. They could consider who accrued the debt and its purpose. They will evaluate which spouse is better positioned to pay it off, and consider the debt in context with the division of marital assets.

How Are Child Custody and Support Determined in a Local Divorce?

Parents going through a divorce in Sandy Springs must decide how parenting time would be split between them. After this is settled, a judge could determine how much child support the non-custodial parent must pay to the custodial parent as well as the frequency of those payments.

Children’s Best Interests

The Official Code of Georgia §19-9-3 requires judges to prioritize the children’s best interests when making custody decisions. Factors they consider when deciding best interests include the:

• Age and health of each parent;
• Bond between each parent and the child;
• Parent’s familiarity with each child’s needs, preferences, and routine
• Parent’s capacity to be available for the children given their work schedule and other obligations
• Suitability of each parent’s home

Numerous other factors may influence the judge’s decision when relevant to the children’s well-being.

Even when parents agree on all matters concerning the children, the Family Court judge must review their plans. The judge can reject a custody arrangement if they feel it does not serve the children’s best interests.

Parenting Plans

Parents must submit a detailed plan to the Family Court describing how they will share time with their children. Unless there is a reason for one parent’s contact with the children to be limited, both parents should have sufficient time with the children to maintain a bond. The parenting plan should include a weekly schedule showing where the children will be each night of the week, which parent is responsible for transportation, and similar details.

The parenting plan must address both legal and physical custody. Legal custody is the authority to make major decisions on behalf of the child concerning their education, religious upbringing, and healthcare. Parents often share legal custody, but one parent may have the final say on one or more issues.

Child Support

The parents must include child support arrangements in the parenting plan. Child support is determined according to a formula that considers the number of children the parents are supporting, each parent’s income, and starting in January 2026, how much time each parent spends with the children.

Georgia family law requires various adjustments, called deviations, to reflect specific costs like work-related childcare expenses and the children’s health insurance and dental care. There are other, optional adjustments that the court might grant on request..

Our team can review your child support worksheet to ensure your calculations are correct. We will also let you know whether you should consider asking for a non-mandatory deviation to the child support amount.

Resolving Custody Disputes

Georgia Family Courts strongly encourage parents to create a mutually agreeable custody arrangement. When the judge must decide custody, they may appoint a professional to investigate the parents’ living situation and give a clearer picture of family dynamics. Our attorneys can coach you on working with these professionals and help you achieve your desired outcome.

Taking the Next Step

When a couple decides that they are ready for divorce, one of the spouses must have been a resident of Georgia for at least six months prior to filing. After this is established, there are a few options for how a couple can proceed with the Sandy Springs divorce process.

They could file for a no-fault divorce, meaning that their marriage is irretrievably broken but neither party is being held responsible for its dissolution. Alternatively, if there was a reason for ending the marriage, a couple can file for divorce based on one or more grounds such as abandonment, cruelty, adultery, or one of several other grounds set by state law.

What’s the Difference between Contested and Uncontested Divorce?

Next, a couple must determine whether their divorce will be contested or uncontested, although this is more accurately a matter of deciding whether they want to negotiate terms mutually in private or let a court decide for them. In a contested divorce, a judge must ultimately make decisions on alimony, child support, child custody, and division of property and debt. This process may take anywhere between a few months to a few years.

If a couple wants an uncontested divorce, then with the assistance of legal counsel and other experts, they can work collaboratively to have these issues sorted out before filing for marriage dissolution. When a case is uncontested, the divorce can be finalized within a few months. An experienced divorce lawyer in our area can help navigate these options and come to a decision that best serves your interests.

Getting in Touch with a Sandy Springs Divorce Attorney 

A divorce is never something that you should try to handle on your own. Retaining professional legal counsel could mean you have someone to listen to your concerns, help you set goals, and make sure that your interests are fully protected during the divorce process.

A skilled and compassionate Sandy Springs divorce lawyer may be able to help you secure your future. Call our intake team today to learn more about how our firm could potentially assist you.