Cobb County Divorce Law Blog

3 common forms of child neglect

On behalf of Vic Hill of Hill Macdonald, LLC on Sunday, June 3, 2018.

From the moment they are born, children are highly vulnerable to the minutiae of their environment. Children must be cared for with intent and compassion, but too often, they are subjected to treatment that falls short of these standards. In such cases, these actions may qualify as child neglect, a serious criminal offense that may necessitate legal charges be brought against the offending party.

Following are three of the most common examples of child neglect that occur throughout the United States. Whether you are a parent, grandparent or legal guardian, you should be aware of the following and do everything within your power to keep the kids in your life safe from abuse and neglect.

5 common reasons people get divorced

On behalf of Vic Hill of Hill Macdonald, LLC posted in blog on Sunday, April 29, 2018.

When sweethearts marry, they do not expect divorce to be in their future. Unfortunately, not every marriage ends with "happily ever after." In fact, after twenty years of marriage, 53 percent of couples experience separation, divorce or death.

Why do so many people end their marriages? While there are endless reasons for divorce, here are some of the most common reasons that couples go their separate ways.

Do you need a reason to get a divorce in Georgia?

On behalf of Vic Hill of Hill Macdonald, LLC posted in blog on Friday, March 30, 2018.

Many people who know they want to leave their spouse wonder if they need to have a legal reason to validate the decision? Do you have to show proof of bad behavior? What if there is none but you still want a divorce? Regardless of your circumstances, you can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that Georgia is a no-fault divorce state.

A no-fault divorce means the only grounds you need is the "irretrievable breakdown of the marriage." You do not need to prove fault or wrongdoing, even if it was present. You have the option of pointing out wrongdoing, but it may not be beneficial. It often adds more time and money to the process, and does not guarantee any advantage in support payments, asset division or even custody.

Dividing credit card debt in divorce

On behalf of Vic Hill of Hill Macdonald, LLC posted in blog on Tuesday, February 27, 2018.

Marriages end for all kinds of reasons, and often, financial disagreements and issues come into play. Even if you are heading for a divorce for reasons that have nothing to do with finances, there are still certain steps you may want to consider taking to streamline the process and reduce your level of liability with regard to your spouse’s debts.

If, for example, you and your soon-to-be ex share multiple credit cards, it may prove wise to eliminate this shared debt prior to the dissolution of your marriage to ensure it does not come back to bite you later. Why? Credit card companies do not care about the state of your marriage – they simply want to collect what is owed to them, and they typically do not care where it comes from. So, if you are tracking toward a divorce and you and your spouse currently have shared credit cards, consider the following options:

Answers to common questions about Georgia’s child custody laws

On behalf of Vic Hill of Hill Macdonald, LLC posted in blog on Monday, January 29, 2018.

Child custody laws are not always black and white, and many different factors and circumstances ultimately determine where whether a child will live with you, your spouse, a grandparent or someone else entirely. If you are preparing for an upcoming Georgia custody hearing, understanding the basics of the state’s child custody laws can help streamline the process and, ideally, help you achieve a favorable outcome.

Common questions asked about Georgia’s child custody laws include:

3 hidden assets you may find in a divorce

On behalf of Vic Hill of Hill Macdonald, LLC posted in blog on Friday, January 19, 2018.

Going through a divorce and separating your life from your ex’s is a stressful endeavor in and of itself. Maintaining financial stability in this time is yet another concern that can be stressful if you and your spouse possessed high assets. Whether you have a prenuptial agreement or not, you will need to fairly divide your assets to ensure that both parties’ finances are not compromised by the divorce.

Unfortunately, you cannot always trust your ex to be entirely honest when it comes to disclosing all the assets that may be relevant to your divorce. It is common, in fact, for some vindictive spouses to intentionally hide assets in an attempt to maximize their monetary gains in a divorce.

3 signs your husband wants to divorce you

On behalf of Vic Hill of Hill Macdonald, LLC posted in blog on Wednesday, November 29, 2017.

You may assume that you could tell if your marriage is ending, but sometimes that is not the case. It may be hard to realize when your husband is truly pulling away from you, especially when divorce is the last thing you want to happen. But divorce can sometimes take people by surprise.

So how can you tell if your husband is planning to leave you? While these signs may sometimes only signal that your marriage needs some work, here are some red flags that your husband could be planning to file for divorce.

Signs your wife is planning to divorce you

On behalf of Vic Hill of Hill Macdonald, LLC posted in blog on Wednesday, November 1, 2017.

Marriages do not end overnight. While the service of divorce papers from your wife may come as a surprise to you, this is not a decision she made in one instant. Her plans for divorce started long before then.

You may think arguments or affairs are telltale signs you two are headed for divorce. However, many marriages survive cheating, and many divorces come when things are seemingly going well. What signs, then, are likelier to mean your wife is preparing for divorce?

Is your spouse being honest about finances?

On behalf of Vic Hill of Hill Macdonald, LLC posted in blog on Wednesday, October 11, 2017.

In many Georgia divorces, especially those involving extensive and complicated finances, full disclosure is key to achieving a fair division. Unfortunately, some people try to game the system by hiding or spending assets in order to avoid having to share them.

If your spouse is typically the one to handle day-to-day financial tasks such as bills, you may find it hard to stay on top of the flow of income and expenditures. Paying attention to certain red flags can alert you to the necessity of taking a closer look.

The role of a guardian ad litem in a Georgia divorce

On behalf of Vic Hill of Hill Macdonald, LLC posted in Child Custody on Friday, September 8, 2017.

If you are beginning the divorce process with minor children in tow, you can expect custody issues to rank among the issues that dominate discussions. In some cases, a Georgia judge may choose to appoint a guardian ad litem.

GALs can play a major role in custody and parenting issues before the court. Knowing how the process works can help you stay informed and work to do what is best for your children.