A divorce can be very simple and relatively inexpensive, or it can be very complicated and costly (both emotionally and financially). The reality is that the more you and your spouse can agree upon in your divorce, and the sooner you can agree, then more straightforward and inexpensive it will be. Unfortunately, it only takes one unreasonable or unrealistic party or lawyer (out of the at least 4 personalities involved) to make the process more complicated, adversarial, and expensive than it otherwise needs to be.
Child custody relocation cases are among the most complex and highly contested family law cases. Our blog located here has more information. Importantly, a move does not have to just be from one state to another. A move from Atlanta to Savannah or Macon, for example, could warrant a modification of custody.
In Georgia, child support is the right of the child and both parents have a duty of support. Nevertheless, one of the most contested matters in family law cases is resolving the amount of support, if any, to be paid from one parent to the other, and a expert child support Atlanta attorney as an advocate by your side could help your situation in the long run.
Georgia law allows for parties to come back and modify their existing orders with respect to alimony, child support, custody, or visitation / parenting time. The public policy of Georgia to revisit issues from prior agreements or orders is to allow for flexibility as the circumstances can change. For example, a payor might be fired from his or her job as part of a company’s layoffs and through no fault of his or her own the financial circumstances of that party have arguably substantially changed. In would not be appropriate to require a payor to continue to pay amounts he was ordered to pay (or agreed to pay) when financial circumstances were better.
Naggiar & Sarif understands the unique issues, subtleties, and challenges facing clients who are public figures or high profile individuals. As part of our practice, we represent many people who are executives, Fortune 500 board members, professional athletes (NBA, NFL, and MLB), entertainers, actors, actresses, musicians, celebrities, or personalities in the public eye. We have also represented many spouses or significant others of famous and high profile individuals.
Whether you have a divorce or other family law related matter, mediation is one of the most important steps in your case. The reason it can be the most important step is because the vast majority of family law cases settle at mediation (in fact, the vast majority of all types of cases settle at mediation).
Alimony, also referred to as spousal maintenance or spousal support, is not an absolute right in Georgia but can be agreed to by the parties or awarded under certain circumstances. Alimony can be rehabilitative, permanent, or lump sum. Also, it can be awarded on a temporary basis during a case. There can be tax ramifications regarding alimony, and therefore the way it is structured is of critical importance to avoid unintended consequences, which is why a Alimony Attorney in Atlanta is important to consult with.
Many of our client’s cases involve high asset divorce or complex family law issues. High net-worth individuals and high income earning clients hire Naggiar & Sarif because of our expertise and experience with such cases and the unique issues involved in cases involving affluent or wealthy parties. High-asset divorce cases can often be among the most complex family law matters and it’s imperative that you hire knowledgeable, qualified, and experienced attorneys to protect your assets, interests, and rights.
In many family law or divorce cases, custody and parenting time are the most intricate and contested issues. In some cases, the Court appoints a Guardian ad Litem to investigate and represent the best interests of the child or children (but note, not to represent the children themselves) or the Court may appoint a Custody Evaluator to assist the Court. Cases involving such experts are frequently dealt with by our attorneys and there are many moving parts to such cases that our law firm can assist you with.
A collaborative divorce is a non-adversarial approach to resolving disputes without using the Court to assist or intervene in a case. The parties use a team of professionals to help them reach an amicable out of court resolution. The goal of a collaborative case is to focus on the needs of the family while focusing on a win-win mentality as opposed to the win-lose nature that traditional litigation often entails. The professionals all understand that a well thought out settlement of the issues in the case is what the goal is for the parties (and their children if there are kids) and timing milestones are usually set at each meeting to ensure that the case moves along in a timely and appropriate manner.
If a party does not follow a Court Order or is disrespectful to the Court, he or she may be in contempt of court. The sanctions or punishment for disobeying a Court Order can be severe, including but not limited to being jailed. A party can be found to be in civil contempt and criminal contempt.
In general, legitimation is the legal process by which a father establishes his parental rights with respect to a minor child (or children) when he was not married to the child’s mother when the child was born and the child has not been legitimated since being born. Legitimation can provide profound legal rights for a father because until he is legitimated he has no custodial rights. Quite frankly, unless he has been legitimated, a father has almost no rights but he does still have obligations.
Our American soldiers defend the rights of all Americans and others throughout the world every day. In return for your loyal service to our country, you deserve to receive the peace of mind derived from military benefits and the justice associated with fair military proceedings.
In general, a Temporary Protective Order (TPO) is a tool to help protect victims of domestic violence or stalking. This order will require the abuser to stay a certain distance away from you and/or your children, both at home and at your work. In addition, the restrained person will be prohibited from contacting you in person, by telephone, my mail, by email, and through the use of a third party.
Are you feeling confused or frustrated by the current status of your case? Are you starting to second guess or question the advice you are being given by your current representation? Is your current lawyer ignoring you or slow to respond? Are you allowed to seek a second opinion in your family law matter?
Under Georgia law, an individual is allowed to file an action for separate maintenance that protects their legal rights to custody, visitation, financial support, and possession of marital property, without requiring a formal divorce.
The relationship between a stepparent and their stepchild frequently develops into a relationship that is just as meaningful and loving as a relationship between biological parents and their children. By adopting your stepchild(ren), you will gain the same parental rights as a biological parent.
An uncontested divorce is a divorce where both parties have resolved all issues in their case and the parties simply want an attorney to prepare the paperwork which reflects what the parties have agreed to and help guide the process.