Family Law Firm In Athens
Don’t Let a Family Dispute Take Over Your Life
Experienced Family Law Attorneys in Georgia
If you’re facing a divorce, custody battle, or another family law issue in Athens, Lawrenceville, Monroe, or anywhere in Georgia, an experienced family law attorney can help you protect your rights and minimize the long-term impact on your life and loved ones.
If you or a loved one is dealing with a family law issue, start preparing for the next step with a confidential online consultation.
Why Choose The Athens Family Law Firm
Your Trusted Partner Through Family Challenges
When you’re facing some of life’s toughest family challenges, you deserve an attorney who truly listens and who fights for what matters most to you. At Cowan Law, we provide sincere guidance, clear communication, and unwavering support for every client.
Clarity. Compassion. A Clear Path Forward.
When family challenges hit close to home, you need a trusted partner who truly understands your situation. At Cowan Law, we provide personalized, respectful, and effective legal counsel to help you face life’s most sensitive moments with confidence.
Georgia Family Law Attorney
When family challenges arise, you need more than just legal representation—you need a dedicated advocate who understands what’s at stake. At Cowan Law, we help you navigate life’s most personal legal challenges with dignity and respect while properly advising you on the law and how it relates to your particular situation.
- Divorce Representation – From uncontested divorces to complex high-asset cases
- Child Custody & Support – Protecting your children’s best interests
- Alimony & Spousal Support – Ensuring fair financial arrangements
- Property Division – Equitable distribution of marital assets
- Modification of Orders – Adapting to changing circumstances
- Domestic Violence Protection – Emergency legal protection when needed
- Adoption & Legitimation – Building and securing your family bonds
- Prenuptial & Postnuptial Agreements – Protecting your financial future
Frequently Asked Questions
To start any divorce in Georgia, you have to file a petition to dissolve the marriage with the court clerk. The most efficient way to start a divorce is to contact a divorce attorney to handle it for you. This way the petition is properly filed and/or timely answered.
Child custody, visitation, and child support are determined case-by-case with each state having their specific, respective guidelines. These matters, however, are always determined by considering the “best interests of the child” standard. In general, though, courts want both parents to build strong relationships with their children. Courts also recognize that both parents are financially responsible for the child. Child custody, visitation, and child support will reflect those beliefs as the basis of the determination.
Alimony, also referred to as spousal support or spousal maintenance, is determined on a case-by-case basis with each state having their specific, respective guidelines. Most states consider the present earning ability and future earning opportunities of the spouses. If one spouse was dependent on the other spouse through the marriage, that factor will weigh heavily on any court’s decision on alimony.
When child support is established, a payment schedule is also established. When the parent ordered to pay support fails to do so, there are options available to the parent (or custodian) receiving the support. They are able to file a motion in the court to have the support order enforced, they may seek an attorney to help them, or they may seek the help of the local child support office.
In most cases, the parent under the order to pay will be able to explain to the court why they have not made their payments. The court will consider the matter and enter an order, which may include jail time for failure to pay. Even when jail time is ordered, the parent under the order can avoid it by paying a certain amount towards their debt as ordered by the court.
In some cases, there are remedies available to ensure the child support is paid, such as wage withholding and tax refund withholding. Another remedy is the suspension of the driver's license of the person not making their payments as ordered.
If you are seeking child support establishment or enforcement, an attorney can help you locate the non-custodial parent and determine their ability to pay. If you are being ordered to pay child support, an attorney can help you ensure the amount of the order is fair. Child support orders are not set in stone and may be modified when the circumstances warrant a change.
It is a matter of public policy that courts do not presume a child is better off with a father or mother. It is also a matter of public policy that a court does not presume a specific time-sharing or parenting plan. Courts encourage both parents to develop relationships with their children.
To that end, you have a right to see your child after a divorce or separation or even if you were never married, but the extent of that right is best obtained and defined by a court – having a custody or visitation order in place protects your rights. Violating the order, however, could put your visitation rights at risk.
Adoption is a delicate matter that involves the lives and well-being of numerous people, not the least of which is a newborn child. It is imperative for a birth mother and adoptive parents to go into the situation with open eyes and a realistic expectation of what might happen. Hiring an adoption attorney means you have someone that knows how to check all the boxes to ensure the entire process is compliant with all governing laws.