Marietta Abandoned Spouse Divorce Lawyer

Marietta Abandoned Spouse Divorce Attorney

Ending a marriage is always difficult, but if you believe you have been abandoned by your spouse in Marietta, you face an especially difficult legal situation. You need to speak with an experienced Marietta abandoned spouse divorce lawyer at Young Law Firm, LLC, at your first opportunity.

When a spouse abandons a partner, the entire family is thrown into disarray. The remaining spouse may be unsure of what legal options he or she has and how he or she can move forward with his or her life. According to Georgia law, one ground for divorce is the intentional desertion of the marriage for one year. At Young Law Firm, LLC, our attorney helps abandoned spouses file for divorce and protect their rights.

Attorney Diana Whipkey Young uses her more than 40 years of experience to help people in Cobb County, Paulding County, Bartow County and Cherokee County with various divorce matters. She will aggressively push to move your divorce case forward so that you can move past this difficult time and on to a happier future. You can contact our Marietta office now and schedule your free, 30-minute initial consultation by calling 770-795-9596

What Abandoned Spouses Can Do

There are 13 grounds for divorce in Georgia, including the desertion ground mentioned above. To qualify for this ground, the deserting spouse must be gone for at least one year. Additionally, to get divorced in Georgia, generally the filing party must be domiciled in the state for at least six consecutive months.

If the other partner is no longer a resident of Georgia, the petition may be filed in Georgia under certain circumstances. Our knowledgeable abandoned spouse divorce attorney can help you determine if the case can proceed in Georgia.

The next step of the divorce is serving the petition and summons upon the other party. The abandoning spouse will have 30 days to respond after being served. Failure to respond within the specified period may result in a divorce being granted without any input from the spouse who failed to respond. If the court cannot locate the abandoning spouse, a judge, upon proper motion, may allow the divorce to proceed by publication.

Publication means that the court would allow the abandoned spouse to publish divorce information a specified number of times in the newspaper. Such publication in the newspaper is considered a proper notice to the spouse who is missing. Before being allowed to proceed with a divorce by publication, the spouse seeking the divorce must perform a diligent search to locate the missing spouse. The investigation must include contacting known friends and family of the absent partner.

An Abandoned Spouse Lawyer Who Can Handle Every Issue

Divorce by publication does not grant the abandoned spouse the ability to receive owed money, such as child support or alimony. You may be able to address this unique problem by talking to our experienced and knowledgeable abandoned spouse divorce attorney. She will aggressively pursue your ex-spouse and help you get everything you are due.

Divorce in Georgia requires addressing several elements, including property division, child custody, child support, and, in some cases, spousal support. When your spouse has refused to respond to your divorce petition, or if you have exhausted all methods available to you to locate them and notify them of your divorce petition, it is likely that the court will rule in favor of your petition.

In a normal divorce case, any issues that are contested must be resolved before the divorce order can be finalized. However, it may not be possible in a case involving an abandoned spouse to resolve any issues prior to a final trial. Your Marietta abandoned spouse divorce lawyer can explain what to expect in your case. While the court may approve the requested terms in your divorce petition, the other party must be located to secure any support they owe.

If you have been abandoned and your spouse has not been located, it may take a long time for any type of resolution. They can not only face serious financial issues when it comes to child support and/or spousal support but also potential criminal charges. For example, if it takes years to locate them and they have a child support obligation, they will not only be liable for the support in arrears but also face penalties for intentional nonpayment of support.

What to Expect From Your Marietta Abandoned Spouse Divorce Lawyer

Filing for divorce in Georgia is a more complicated issue than many people realize. You are not simply asking to terminate your marriage contract; the court must also resolve property division under the state’s equitable distribution law, and you must address child custody if you and your spouse have children together. Abandonment can effectively streamline some aspects of divorce while complicating others.

Young Law Firm, LLC, can carefully review the various elements of your divorce. In most spousal abandonment cases, there has been little to no contact between the spouses for an extended period of time. It is common for people filing these cases to have no idea where their spouses are or how to get in touch with them, let alone send them divorce papers.

Your Marietta abandoned spouse divorce lawyer can assist you in completing your investigation in good faith, ensuring that you will meet the requirements set by the court. If you exhaust all your options for finding and/or contacting your spouse, then your attorney can help you take the next steps with your case.

You will need to submit your divorce petition. It is generally safe to assume that any marital property that has been under your control because of the abandonment will be considered your property as an element of your divorce. This could potentially lead to disputes later, but your attorney can help you account for this.

If you have children, the court will likely be compelled to award you sole custody if your co-parent has abandoned your family. If you are owed child support or spousal support, you likely will not receive any support payments until your spouse is located. Additionally, your co-parent can face severe penalties for abandoning the family and for nonpayment of owed support. Once they are located, they are likely to face extensive legal proceedings in family court and criminal court.

These cases are difficult and sometimes tragic, and if you have reached the point that you are ready to file for divorce after spousal abandonment, it is important to choose an attorney who can provide compassionate and efficient legal counsel through every step of your case. Young Law Firm, LLC, can provide the assistance you need in this difficult situation. Contact our team today to speak with a Marietta abandoned spouse divorce lawyer and learn how we can help.

Do Not Hesitate To Contact Our Marietta Office

Waiting longer than one year is often not in the best interest of the abandoned spouse. You can schedule your free, 30-minute consultation now by calling our Marietta office now at 770-795-9596. We are also available by email.