Getting a Divorce in Georgia Could Be Getting Tougher
Posted on May 16, 2013 12:00am PDT
People in Georgia are probably aware that our state has one of the highest
divorce rates in the U.S. Getting an uncontested divorce when the marriage
is irretrievably broken is relatively easy in Georgia as compared to other
states, and a divorce can be finalized in as little as 30 days after the
filing of the divorce documents. The divorce settlement process can take
longer when child custodyis an area of disagreement, but for those parties
who just want a no-fuss divorce, Georgia can accommodate in just about a month.
However, recent legislative efforts have targeted state divorce laws with
the intent of making divorce more difficult, which supporters say will
decrease the number of divorces and help keep families together. Under
the newly proposed legislation most divorces would not only take longer,
up to almost a year at minimum, but couples would be required to attend
education and counseling sessions to improve marital communications and
preach the negative impacts of divorce on children. In addition, counseling
and mental health services would be made available to divorcing families.
Critics of the proposal argue that divorce is a choice people should be
allowed to make without government interference, as people generally know
what is best for their well-being even if, in some cases, that means splitting
up a family. The legislation may be well intended, but adding new hoops
for distraught people to jump through may not be the solution to promote
family unity.
Families with children should know that divorce can be a challenging time
for everyone in the family, as child custody is often the most hotly contested
issue between divorcing spouses. People should always enlist the counsel
of an experienced family law attorney to handle the intricacies of child
support, visitation and parental rights so they can focus on doing the
best thing for themselves and their children.