To get a divorce in Georgia, a few basic requirements must be met:

• The person seeking the divorce must have lived in Georgia for at least 6 months

• The petition for divorce must be filed in the county where the defendant (the person you wish to divorce) lives.

• The petition must be with the court for a minimum of thirty (30) days before a divorce can be finalized.

The State of Georgia recognizes several "fault" grounds for divorce, such as abandonment, adultery, and physical or mental cruelty.  Georgia also allows "no fault" divorces when the couple has "irreconcilable differences with no hope of reconciliation" or the marriage is "irretrievably broken."  In a "no fault" situation, the parties do not have to prove any of the fault grounds for divorce, and the defendant in the action would not be able to prevent the divorce by raising certain defenses that are available in the older fault-based proceedings.

Obviously, there are many issues that arise during a divorce proceeding, such as deciding the matter of child custody and the division of marital property and assets.  These can sometimes prove to be very stressful and contentious issues that require a great deal of understanding and compassion from an attorney to help a client through such difficult circumstances.

If you are considering filing a petition for divorce, or have recently been served with a petition for divorce, I can provide representation and counsel to make the process as swift, painless and amicable as possible.

The Georgia Bar Association provides a free information pamphlet, which you may read by clicking here.