Representing Your Interests
Barbara E. Keon helps people in the Metro Atlanta area file for divorce. Ms. Keon’s clients benefit from her exclusive specialization in family law and her many years of experience handling divorces in Georgia. Her accomplished record includes high recognition from her legal peers as a Super Lawyer in Georgia and a Martindale Hubbell AV® rated attorney.
From uncontested divorces to those requiring a trial, Ms. Keon focuses her energies on ensuring that her clients’ interests are strongly represented.
Understanding Divorce Laws in GeorgiaEach state has unique divorce statutes that cover procedural and substantive aspects of the divorce process. Georgia is a no-fault state, which means that partners in a marriage can file for divorce simply by claiming that the marriage has become “irretrievably broken”. They can also file for divorce based on one of the 12 grounds listed in
Georgia’s divorce laws . Some examples of grounds include adultery, habitual intoxication, impotency, and imprisonment.
Contact Barbara E. Keon to learn more about
divorce laws in Georgia.
The Divorce PetitionIn order to initiate a divorce, you must file a
divorce petition with the Superior Court in the county where your spouse resides, which includes the
Fulton County Superior Court Family Division . In the divorce petition, you must provide several pieces of information about your marriage and family:
- Your residency status for the state of Georgia
- The name and mailing address of your spouse
- Date of marriage
- Date when you and spouse entered a “bona fide state of separation”
- The number of minor children and their names, sex, date of birth, and residency
- The existence of any custody arrangements
- Joint marital property and joint debts
- Requests for custody, alimony, visitation and other issues
The divorce petition is an important document because it initiates the legal process and establishes your demands. After you file the petition with the Court, the Sheriff serves your spouse. Your spouse then has 30 days to file an answer.
Negotiating with Your SpouseIf your divorce involves children, possible child support or alimony, and the division of joint assets and debts, you should expect negotiation between you and your spouse with the help of your attorneys. To facilitate discussion and keep your case from going to trial, Barbara E. Keon offers mediation. If negotiation fails to reach an agreement, then your case may have to be tried before a judge or jury.
Call (770) 350-8582 for help with a divorce in the Metro Atlanta area.