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.

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.

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

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.

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 in Sandy Springs?

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.