Marietta Family Law Blog

As much as you may have wanted to settle your divorce out of court, you find yourself facing litigation. Perhaps certain issues were too important for you to compromise, or your spouse may be digging in and refusing to cooperate. Whatever the reason, you may feel intimidated by the process -- and with good cause. Some couples feel they lose control of their divorce once the courts get involved, so it will be helpful if you understand as much as possible before moving forward.

One of the first steps in the divorce process is the discovery phase. During this time, your attorney and your spouse's attorney will attempt to gain a complete picture of your marriage, particularly concerning your finances and your goals for child custody, if applicable. Discovery is critical if you expect to get a fair share of property division.

Every marriage has its complexities, and yours is no exception. Unfortunately, what makes your marriage complex is the control your spouse has over you. If you are the victim of physical or emotional abuse from your spouse, you may also be the victim of financial abuse. Many spouses are not aware of the control their partners have over them financially until they try to leave the marriage.

One way in which a spouse can manage the actions of a partner is to prevent the partner from having any financial freedom within the marriage. Without access to money or earning power, a spouse has few alternatives for a future outside the relationship. If you find yourself in this situation and plan to divorce your controlling spouse, you would do well to seek experienced legal assistance.

Raising children takes a lot of work under the best of circumstances. Each phase of their lives provides new challenges for parents. During the good times of your marriage, you had each other to lean on when times got tough.

Now that your relationship has deteriorated and you are contemplating divorce, you wonder whether you can continue to present a united front to the children, even though you no longer live together. Co-parenting after your divorce does not have to be fraught with contention and chaos. Instead, you could take steps to make sure that you have the best start possible.

If you and your spouse are preparing for your divorce, you may be having a difficult time focusing on the practical aspects of your breakup. Whether your divorce is amicable or contentious, you may be struggling to think about your future. Nevertheless, many of the decisions you make now could affect your future for years, so you want to be prudent and thoughtful, especially during property division.

Many Georgia spouses find it possible to work out an equitable agreement for dividing their belongings, but it is not as easy as dealing a hand of cards. For some assets, there are numerous factors to consider beyond the face value of the item.