Blawg of Attorney Christine M Bechtold

Yes, you will likely be ordered to take a parenting seminar if you are divorcing in Georgia with a shared minor child, but the requirements vary by county. “The superior court judges, under whose authority the program shall function, may require any or all parties to attend an educational seminar of no more than four hours in any domestic relations action before the court.” Georgia Superior Court Rule 24.8(B) Georgia Superior Court Rule 24.8(B) . “The goal of this program is to assist the parents in understanding the impact of divorce on children, reduce potential conflicts, and offer practical solutions to future problems.” www.alcovycircuit.com . “The seminar focuses on the developmental needs of children, with emphasis on fostering the child's emotional health during periods of stress.” www.gwinnettcourts.com . Information on various county parenting programs are listed below: Alcovy (Newton and Walton Counties) $25.00 Divorce action must be filled with the

Divorce cases are filed as Domestic Civil Cases in Superior Court. Filing fees to the Superior Court vary by county, see list and links below for the most recent filing fees as of July, 2016. Alcovy (Walton and Newton Counties) $210.00 www.alcovycircuit.com Athens-Clark County $215.00 athensclarkecounty.com Dekalb County $214.00 www.dksuperiorclerk.com Fulton County $221.00 www.fcclk.org Gwinnett County $211.00 www.gwinnettcourts.com Rockdale County $209.00 www.rockdaleclerk.com The filing fee is paid to the Clerk’s office for the filing and processing of your case. If your case requires service of process by the Sheriff, there is a separate fee to the Sheriff’s office of $50.00 per person, per address. If your county is not listed above, call the Clerk of the Superior Court in your county for the most recent fees. This is an update to the prior 2015 post: How Much Does It Cost to File My Divorce? . 

Yes, married parties can separate at anytime, but divorce is only valid when it goes through the Court. “Because marriages are legal contracts, the law requires that they be dissolved by the court.” www.georgialegalaid.org . If you are considering a separation from your spouse, be sure to have open communication and discuss with a family law attorney about obtaining a written separation agreement. Legal separations go through the Superior Court in Georgia the same way as a divorce. “Unlike divorce, a legal separation does not put an end to the marriage, it enables you to live separately but remain married.” divorcesupport.about.com . A legal separation, “isn't very common, but there are situations where spouses don't want to divorce for religious, financial, or personal reasons, but do want the certainty of a court order that says they're separated and addresses all the same issues that would be decided in a divorce.” www.nolo.com . “Legal separation is useful when

Yes, there are options available for discounted legal services for family law issues. First, you need to know if you have a criminal or civil case. “Criminal laws are the rules that apply when someone commits a crime, such as assault, robbery, murder, arson, rape and other kinds of crimes.” www.lawhelp.org . Civil cases involve those where one person is suing another. Family law cases (divorce, child custody) are civil cases. “Under U.S. law, if you have been accused of a crime that may lead to jail time, the judge should assign a government-paid lawyer called a public defender or legal aid lawyer to represent you in court...” ww.lawhelp.org . Public defenders are not assigned for civil cases. There are resources available for discounted legal services for civil cases. GeorgiaLegalAid.org is one whose, “goal is to provide the public with easy Internet access to basic legal information and legal resources in Georgia.” http://www.georgialegalaid.org/ . “If you do

Independence Day is one of the most important federal holidays in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which declared our independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. bechtold-law.blogspot.com.   “Drafted by Thomas Jefferson between June 11 and June 28, 1776, the Declaration of Independence is at once the nation's most cherished symbol of liberty and Jefferson's most enduring monument.” www.archives.gov. “What Jefferson did was to summarize this philosophy in ‘self-evident truths’ and set forth a list of grievances against the King in order to justify before the world the breaking of ties between the colonies and the mother country.” www.archives.gov. In the Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson describes why the Declaration is necessary:  "For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury.” www.archives.gov. "For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establis

Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743. "Thomas Jefferson, a spokesman for democracy, was an American Founding Father, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776), and the third President of the United States (1801–1809)." https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/thomasjefferson "As a member of the Continental Congress, he was chosen in 1776 to draft the Declaration of Independence, which has been regarded ever since as a charter of American and universal liberties. The document proclaims that all men are equal in rights, regardless of birth, wealth, or status, and that the government is the servant, not the master, of the people." https://www.monticello.org/site/jefferson/thomas-jefferson-brief-biography "The Declaration of Independence, which explained why the 13 colonies wanted to be free of British rule and also detailed the importance of individual rights and freedoms, was adopted on July 4, 1776." http://www.history.com/t

"The Newton County Judicial Center and the Walton County Government Building will be closed on Friday, March 25, 2016, in observance of Good Friday." http://www.alcovycircuit.com/news/203-holiday-schedule.html . The Gwinnett County Courts are, "closed on legal holidays." http://www.gwinnettcourts.com/ . Good Friday is not an observed legal holiday in the State of Georgia. https://georgia.gov/popular-topic/observing-state-holidays . The Law Office of Christine M Bechtold, LLC will have limited appointments on Good Friday 2016 and will be available via email at Christine@Bechtold-Law.com and by phone message at 770.466.2700. Have a Happy Easter with your family!