Divorce help for Stone Mountain families.
For many Stone Mountain couples, the house is the biggest question in the divorce, both the largest asset and the family’s home. Deciding whether to sell, buy out, or hold it takes weighing finances and the children together. We help you sort out the marital home in a way that protects your finances and your family.
Daniels & Taylor serves Stone Mountain 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 Stone Mountain 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 Stone Mountain 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 Stone Mountain can return to court to enforce the decree.
Common questions about divorce in Stone Mountain
What happens to the house in a Georgia divorce?
The marital home is part of the equitable division; options include selling and splitting the proceeds, one spouse buying out the other, or a deferred sale.
Can one of us stay in the home with the kids?
Sometimes; a court can consider letting the custodial parent remain for stability, balanced against the overall division.
Who pays the mortgage during the divorce?
That can be addressed in temporary terms while the case proceeds, so the home is not put at risk before the final division.
Protecting your finances and your family. Call (770) 285-1673 for a free case evaluation.