Family Law

Uncontested Divorce

Most divorces will, at a minimum, be difficult on a personal, emotional level. However, in Georgia, uncontested divorce may help provide a simplified, lower-cost legal option when there are no disagreements between spouses over any divorce-related issues (such as division of property, alimony, or child support/custody). An uncontested divorce is not for everyone, but an uncontested divorce is generally a quick and simple legal proceeding if a settlement has been reached between spouses prior to filing for divorce.

Adoption

Adoption is the permanent legal placement of a child with parents other than its birth parents. Adoption severs the parental responsibilities of the child’s birth parents and places these responsibilities on the child’s adoptive parents. Generally, after finalization of an adoption, there is no legal distinction between biological and adopted children, although exceptions may apply in some jurisdictions.

Name Changes

Changing your name may come with a major life change, and it’s a change in your legal identity. Everything from your driver’s license and Social Security records change, not to mention your credit and financial accounts. Besides marriage, divorce or adoption, people seek name changes to:

• Reflect gender changes
• Business reasons
• Update a name or its spelling to blend with American culture
• Get a fresh start as domestic violence or other crime victims
• Honor family heritage, such as restoring a surname to its correct spelling
• Other personal reasons, such as simple preference, important meaning tied to a new name, or negative feelings about your current name