Family Law

• Divorce
  Do you need an attorney in Georgia? No. However, one should consider consulting with an attorney prior to attempting to handle their own divorce. In the event that it is an uncontested divorce, the cost of the divorce may be quite reasonable based on the amount of paperwork that will need to be handled and eventually filed with the Court. If the divorce is contested, you risk that the other party will have an attorney, which can easily ͞”tilt the field͟” heavily in favor of that party.
• Child Support
  Georgia law states that a parent is obligated to support his/her children. In considering whether child support is warranted, you need to simply look to one of the three most common situations that occur: divorce, separation, and children born out of wedlock. In these cases, the biological parents are required to support for their children. If you are a parent in one of these cases, you need to contact an experienced attorney that can help you review your particular situation and get results.
• Child Custody and Visitation
  Child Custody in Georgia can arise in a number of different ways including divorce, a custody modification action (case), a child’s election to live with one parent versus the other, and/or state involvement. In the event that you find yourself in a child custody action, you need to call Abell Law Firm, LLC. Although you can represent yourself in a child custody action in Georgia, you should consult with an attorney prior to making such a decision. There are many pitfalls that you need to be aware and avoid when addressing issues concerning child custody.
• Adoption
• Paternity
• Premarital Agreement
  Our goal at the Law Offices of Gary Abell Family Law in Columbus, GA is to guide our clients to an amicable resolution of their matrimonial, custody, or support issues, which will allow them to remain, focused on their families. Aiding clients in focusing on their future rather than the past can lead to a much less stressful and less expensive resolution—something we take great pride in accomplishing. We represent and counsel clients in family law matters including divorce, separation, premarital agreements, paternity, custody, spousal support, and child support.
• Guardianship
  A Guardianship action is a Probate Court review and possible appointment of a guardian. A guardian may be appointed for an adult (ward) who has lost sufficient capacity to make or communicate significant responsible decisions concerning his or her health or safety. The guardian’s authority to act may be limited, based on the capacity of the adult ward. Oftentimes, a guardian will be appointed for an adult ward who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease or Dementia.
• Spousal Support
  Divorce in Georgia can be either an uncontested divorce or a contested divorce. If the parties can resolve all the issues between them without the need for a judge or jury, the divorce is uncontested and, as a general rule, less costly than a contested divorce. On the other hand, many divorces are contested because of the various issues that cannot be easily resolved. Many of these issues involve children, such as child custody, parenting time/visitation, child support, decision-making authority (as it pertains to major decisions for the children), and other forms of support depending upon the age(s) of the child(ren). Other issues include alimony/spousal support, property/asset division, and retirement income and/or retirement accounts. Although this is not an exhaustive list of issues that can be contested, these are some of the more common issues that should be addressed before finalizing a divorce.
• Legal Separation