Atlanta Divorce Lawyers

As top divorce lawyers in Atlanta are aware, divorce and family law cases are handled very differently in Atlanta than in any other court in Georgia. This is because in 1998, Fulton County started a family law pilot project that created a family law division of the Fulton County Superior Court system. The backbone of the family law pilot project is that the best way to handle divorce and family law cases is to have judges which are dedicated to hearing only divorce and family law cases. Specifically, they are limited to cases involving: adoptions, alimony, alimony modifications, child custody, child custody modification, child support, child support modification, contempt, divorce, domestic violence, legitimation, modifications, paternity, step parent adoptions, and visitation.

Litigants and lawyers alike will quickly find out the differences in handling divorce cases in Atlanta do not stop with the fact that its judges only decide family law cases. It only begins there. This is because of the extensive case management system employed by the Fulton County Family Court.

The first difference in this case management system begins at the very start of litigation when the initial Complaint for divorce is filed. At this point, the parties and their attorneys receive what is generally known as the standard initiation packet. This packet not only provides valuable information about how family law and divorce cases are handled in Fulton County, it also mandates initial discovery responses be provided to each party. These discovery requests include interrogatories and request for production of documents that, in essence, require a husband and wife (or mother and father for child support cases) to disclosure their assets, liabilities, and current expenses along with supporting documentation for these items thereby expediting the handling of their divorce and family law manners by providing the critical documents needed to initially evaluate child support, alimony and equitable division.
The second major difference with how divorce and family law cases are handled in Fulton County is that the judges employ judicial officers to help with the administration of cases. These judicial officers preside over a series of status conferences which start merely 30 days after a case is filed. Both parties and their attorneys are required to attend each conference. These conferences are aimed at checking in on the status of the litigation, make sure the cases are moving efficiently through the court system so that they can receive a quick divorce, and to address any issues that arise along the way - which can be quite common for divorce and family law cases.

The third major difference with divorces and family law cases in Atlanta is the way that the court actively employs alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to resolve cases. Working in conjunction with Fulton County's Office of Alternative Dispute Resolution, Fulton County provides two free four hour mediation sessions to try to facilitate the participants finding their own solutions to their disputes. Fulton County even uses late case evaluations wherein an experienced attorney evaluates each party's cases and lets them know their strengths and weaknesses in an effort to help the parties mutually agree to a resolution.
Finally, Fulton County courts get actively involved in their cases along the way be employing Guardian Ad Litems at a reduced hourly rate. A Guardian ad Litem is an attorney who has had at least 20 hours of specialized training for child welfare and custody issues. In addition, the Court or the GAL can order psychological evaluations and drug testing if applicable to help in making a custody determination.

As you can tell, lawyers and parties alike have a vastly different experience with their divorce and family law cases in Atlanta. Fortunately, the divorce attorneys at Meriwether & Tharp handle numerous cases in Atlanta and have the experience with the ins and outs of the Fulton family law system to help your with all of your divorce and family law needs.

You can rely on Meriwether & Tharp to guide you through difficult divorce and family law situations. To speak to a member of our team, you can call our office or e-mail us to schedule an appointment to meet with someone on our family law team.