Atlanta D ivorce Law Group
Happily Ever After Divorce Newsletter
February 2018
Greetings!
WHERE DO I FILE MY DIVORCE IF MY SPOUSE LIVES
IN A DIFFERENT COUNTY?
This is one of the most common questions we get day in and day out. If you need to file for a divorce, child custody matter, Legitimation or other family law matter, and the opposing party lives in another state - how do you know where to file?

Filing for Divorce
You do not have to file in the same state where you were married. In fact, where you were married has absolutely no bearing whatsoever when it comes to filing for divorce. But nonetheless, it is a complicated question involving several factors regarding the parties involved.
Typically, legal matters are filed wherever the Defendant resides. However, each state has its own requirements to establish residency in that state. For Georgia, established residency requires the person to have lived in Georgia for at least 6 consecutive months. Often when our clients have a spouse that lives in another state, we may tell them to let the out-of-state spouse file first, so our clients won’t have to travel to complete the divorce process. At other times, we may tell our clients to go ahead and file first if the out-of-state spouse will consent to jurisdiction in Georgia. It is a very case specific determination that is made by our attorneys after an indepth review of your unique situation.
 
Filing for a Divorce When There are Children
When a divorcing couple has children, the best interests of the children take precedence. The best interests of the children is a very complex question and involves an indepth analysis into a specific situation. Jurisdiction gets especially complicated when there are children involved in a divorce case with an out of state spouse, in fact there is an entire set of statues about it called the UCCJEA (Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act).
February 20th is Love Your Pets Day... so we wanted to share some of our furry (and not so furry) friends with all of you!
A NEW COUPLES THERAPY TO HELP YOU DECIDE:
SAVE YOUR MARRIAGE OR NOT?
Wouldn't it be great if there was a type of therapy that rather than trying to fix your marriage, would analyze your relationship and tell you if it was salvageable or not? Now there is - it's called Discernment Counseling.

Is your marriage stagnant, but you’re just not sure whether to stay or go? There are so many couples who face this kind status quo feeling after a long-term marriage. Karen Covy, Divorce Adviser, Attorney, Mediator & Coach says, “Deciding whether or not to stay married is one of the most difficult and complex decisions most people ever have to make. It’s agonizing. That’s why so many people stay stuck in indecision purgatory for months, and sometimes even years. Making a decision is just too tough.”
DISCERNMENT COUNSELING
Now, there is a new tool that has the specific purpose of helping couples decide whether their marriage has a chance, or whether their only chance at happiness is to end the relationship and start over. Discernment Counseling was developed by Bill Doherty, PhD as part of the Minnesota Couples on the Brink Program. Rather than focusing only on saving the marriage, this counseling focuses only on helping couples decide what the next steps should be based on their relationship. And while traditional marriage counseling can drag on for months, Discernment Counseling only takes 5 sessions or less. Discernment counseling is not treatment, but rather an assessment process designed to evaluate the relationship and quickly help a couple decide what to do next.
Kathleen Shack, M.S., LMFT of Family Solutions Counseling in Alpharetta says usually by three sessions, she can determine the best choice for a couple, so typically by the fourth session, they are ready to talk about the best options for their future.
For the 15th year, Georgia Trend Magazine is recognizing the state’s top attorneys. Our founding attorney,
Sara Khaki has received this award for the
3rd consecutive year.
FAMILY FOCUS

TALKING TO YOUR KIDS ABOUT TRAGEDIES
IN THE NEWS
With all the tragic news lately about school shootings, we created a Pinterest board with information about how to talk to your kids about tragic events. Often kids find out from friends and these kinds of facts can be frightening.
As a parent, it's important that you take the lead and talk to your kids about tragic events so you can have a healthy conversation and control their fears.
HOW TO ADJUST TO CO-PARENTING
WHEN YOUR EX REMARRIES
Attorneys Jeanette Soltys and Sara Khaki discuss how to adjust to co-parenting when your ex remarries. Great tips from both their personal and professional perspectives.
(CLICK ON THE VIDEO TO WATCH)

Main Office: 
3510 Old Milton Parkway
Alpharetta, GA 30005

Phone: 678-203-9893 
Fax: 770-854-1008

By Appointment Only: 
Buckhead & Marietta

 


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