Cobb County Divorce Law Blog

In recent years, several states have modified their laws regarding alimony, or spousal support, in response to mass criticism claiming that the current laws are outdated and out of touch with modern marriages and family financial situations. With this seeming wave of alimony reform sweeping the country, many Atlanta residents are wondering if Georgia will be next.

The alimony reforms began when citizens and family law attorneys began to call attention to spousal support laws that dated back several decades. Such laws, created when women were less likely to work outside the home, were written with the goal of ensuring women's financial stability following a divorce. But reform advocates say that today, when the majority of women work and when salaries for women have increased, those old laws are no longer applicable.

A divorce is a difficult, painful experience, no matter when you do it. But according to a new study, people who divorce at a younger age and after fewer years of marriage may actually suffer greater physical and emotional harm from the split than people who filed for divorce at an older age.

The divorce study reportedly involved a detailed examination of the self-reported health information of more than 1,280 study participants. Over the 15-year duration of the study, researchers analyzed the participants' health data, comparing couples who divorced and who remained married.

If you have gone through the divorce process and come out on the other side, it may seem the hard work is over. However, that may not be true. Following a divorce, there are many details that must be taken care of, such as opening separate bank accounts, refinancing a mortgage in one spouse's name and taking a spouse off of health or car insurance, to name a few.

In addition, if you decide to change your name following a divorce or legal separation, it is important to be thorough in order to avoid any future complications. Specifically, with tax season approaching, it is essential that you change your name with the appropriate federal agencies to avoid any unnecessary audits or other delays in the processing of your income tax filing and return.

In recent years, family law professionals have touted mediation as the solution to the increasingly backlogged family court systems in Ohio and around the country. Many couples have decided to use mediation as a more cost-effective, less combative way to conclude their marriage.

There are many benefits to mediation in addition to those mentioned above. Most importantly, it allows couples to work out a divorce agreement that is specifically tailored to their family and financial situation. This allows couples to determine their family's future, instead of leaving it those key decisions up to a family court judge.

Earlier this week, supermodel Heidi Klum and her husband Seal announced that they had decided to separate and file for divorce after seven years of marriage. Of course, a celebrity divorce is not exactly a new thing (see our earlier Georgia family law blog posts on Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore, Kobe Bryant and, of course, Kim Kardashian) but many people were shocked by this split.

The reason for this level of surprise was likely due to the many pictures painted by Klum and Seal throughout their marriage of their happy and loving relationship and family life. They held vow renewal ceremonies on each anniversary, and in interviews they repeatedly talked about one another with love and respect.

According to a recent study into the relative health benefits of cohabitation and marriage, researchers came to a surprising conclusion. People who choose to live together without marrying may be more happy and healthy and have better social ties than married couples.

Throughout history, Americans have valued marriage very highly, believing that it is essential to the health and happiness of American families. But with the increasing number of couples who are choosing to cohabitate, many of whom have children outside of marriage, researchers decide to look into whether our long-held beliefs about marriage were accurate.

It can be difficult enough to separate from a spouse with whom you share a home and a family. So what happens when you share a career with your spouse, and a very public one at that? This is what Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn had to deal with when her husband filed for divorce in November. Because not only was he her spouse, but he was also her coach, scheduler, manager, and press liaison.

However, in the wake of her split from her husband, Vonn has reportedly been having one of her best skiing seasons to date. With six race wins, she is currently leading the overall World Cup standings by a significant margin, and is ranked in the top 15 in all four disciplines for the first time in her career. In addition, she has made history by becoming one of only five female skiers ever to win in all five skiing events.

Earlier this week, we began a discussion of a lawsuit that is currently pending in Fulton County Superior Court. Recently, the judge presiding over the suit granted the plaintiffs' motion for class-action status, a major step toward success in the case.

The lawsuit is seeking an order requiring the state to provide lawyers for parents who are facing possible jail sentences for failure to pay child support. Specifically, the suit claims that indigent defendants in civil contempt claims filed by the state Department of Human Services should have the assistance of legal counsel. Georgia is one of few states that does not provide low-income parents with attorneys in these cases.