Marietta Family Law Blog

Facebook is no longer for college students and high schoolers; there are an increasing number of people across Georgia who are logging on and finding friends they haven't talked to in years. But, Facebook allows for more than just that, it allows for people to connect with people they used to date or people to whom they were previously married. And, with much of this interaction public, Facebook is causing considerable upset in relationships in Atlanta, sometimes leading to divorce.

A new study has shown that the more often someone uses Facebook, especially when he or she is using Facebook more than once an hour, the more likely he or she will be to contact a former partner. This, of course, can lead to considerable jealousy with the individual's current spouse, which has led to an increased likelihood of divorce.

For years, many women in Cobb County made less than their husbands, but times are changing and it is estimated that 40 percent of women are the primary breadwinners. This means that either Georgia women are making more than their husbands, or that they compose a single-parent household. The is a dramatic increase from the only 11 percent of women who were breadwinners in the 1960s.

But when we think more about what this means, we see that there are a number of women who are single-parents and, as the custodial parent, they likely have a claim to child support from the noncustodial parent. With the median income of single mothers hovering around $23,000 a year, it is in the children's best interests to receive child support.

Any father that goes through the child custody system in Georgia will quickly realize that the historical preference for children to go to their mother is still around to an extent. As a father fighting to protect his parental rights, it is important to work with an experienced and strong advocate for fathers' rights. All too often, Georgia attorneys tend to fall into the mindset that children will automatically go to their mother. Starting off with an attorney with that attitude can be horribly detrimental to an active father seeking a favorable custody agreement.

It is also important to make sure that all parties know, from the very beginning, what you want from the custody agreement. This means both your attorney and the court need to know that you want primary custody (if that is your goal) or that you want nearly equal visitation. Agreeing to anything less as a temporary agreement may backfire when you try to get more time during a permanent agreement.

The initial reason behind alimony was that when a woman was married, it was expected that she would no longer work outside the home, and that her husband was responsible for all of her financial needs. If the couple were to divorce, the man would be able to continue earning a living, but the woman would be left without any financial means. By forcing the man to pay alimony to his ex-wife, the negative impact would be lessened for the woman.

As more and more women become the primary breadwinners in their homes, however, there is an increase in Georgia women being ordered to pay spousal support after their divorce. While it is wonderful that there are more women who are earning lucrative salaries, many of them are unhappy that they are now being forced to pay their exes' alimony.