Practical divorce help for Pendergrass, off I-85.
Pendergrass runs on hard work, the warehouses and the highway and the long days. A divorce on top of all that is a heavy load to carry. Our job is to keep the legal side organized and moving so you can stay focused on your work and your family.
Daniels & Taylor serves Pendergrass families from our office in Lawrenceville.
What most people pay for a case evaluation to learn
Georgia is a no-fault divorce state: you do not have to prove the other spouse did anything wrong. You can divorce simply on the ground that the marriage is irretrievably broken (O.C.G.A. 19-5-3(13)). Georgia also recognizes twelve fault grounds, such as adultery and desertion, which can matter for alimony and for how property is divided (O.C.G.A. 19-5-3).
Georgia divides marital property by equitable division, which means a fair division, not an automatic fifty-fifty split, and separate property a spouse brought into the marriage or received by gift or inheritance generally stays that spouse’s own (Stokes v. Stokes, 246 Ga. 765 (1980)). At least one spouse must have lived in Georgia for six months before filing (O.C.G.A. 19-5-2).
How a Georgia divorce case works
A divorce is filed in the county where the responding spouse lives, and if that spouse has recently moved out of Georgia you may be able to file where you live (O.C.G.A. 19-5-2). Georgia sets a minimum of 30 days from the date the responding spouse is served before a no-fault divorce can be granted, so even an uncontested case is not immediate (O.C.G.A. 19-5-3(13)).
In the same case the court can divide marital property and debt, decide alimony based on one spouse’s need and the other’s ability to pay (O.C.G.A. 19-6-1, 19-6-5), and set custody, parenting time, and child support under the child support guidelines (O.C.G.A. 19-6-15). A divorce can resolve every one of these issues together, whether the case settles or goes to trial.
When a Georgia divorce involves children, the court decides custody and parenting time under the best-interest standard (O.C.G.A. 19-9-3), so a divorce in Pendergrass involving children resolves custody as part of the case.
Custody set in a Georgia divorce can later be changed through a modification if circumstances materially change (O.C.G.A. 19-9-3), so a parent in Pendergrass is not permanently bound to the original divorce custody terms.
Obligations set in a Georgia divorce decree are enforced through contempt if a party does not comply (O.C.G.A. 19-6-28), so a party in Pendergrass can return to court to enforce the decree.
Common questions about divorce in Pendergrass
Where is a Pendergrass divorce filed?
In the Superior Court of Jackson County, at the county seat in Jefferson, a quick trip up the road.
I work long hours, can we do most of this without me missing work?
Often, yes. We schedule around you and handle as much by phone, email, and filing as your case allows.
What if mine is a simple, agreed divorce?
We move uncontested cases efficiently to keep costs down, and we are ready to switch gears if it turns contested.
Let us carry the legal load while you keep your life running. Call (770) 285-1673 for a free case evaluation.