Although there is still more than a month until the federal income tax filing deadline of April 17, many Georgia couples have likely begun the long and often-complicated process of preparing their tax return. While taxes can be confusing on their own, they become even more so if you are going through a divorce or similar life event.
The tax implications of divorce, part one
Proposed Georgia law impacting Muslim family law cases advances
Georgia's House Judiciary Non-civil Committee approved "the American Laws for Georgia's Court Act" this Thursday, which will move the controversial proposed law forward for a full vote in the House of Representatives. The primary intent of the bill is to prevent Georgia judges from deferring to Sharia law when resolving divorce and child custody cases. Sharia law is based on Islamic principles determined by clerics and is used in many of the world's Muslim countries.
Atlanta pastor's wife withdraws divorce petition
The wife of the embattled pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church has reportedly withdrawn her petition for divorce from her husband, according to DeKalb County court filings and the pastor's family law attorney.
Smartphones used as evidence in many divorce cases
Way back in August, we wrote a blog post about the dangers of posting sensitive information on social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter when you are in the midst of a divorce or other family law case. In short, we gave this advice: don't post anything online that you wouldn't want read out loud in court in front of the judge deciding your family law case.
Enjoying Valentine's Day after a divorce
If today marks your first Valentine's Day after a painful separation or divorce, it is understandable that you may want to ignore the holiday completely. However, that will be difficult, if not impossible. With each heart-shaped box of chocolates and bouquet of flowers received by a co-worker, it may grow more and more difficult to ignore Valentine's Day and keep your bitterness in check.
Spreading the news about your divorce
As our lives move more and more online, many of us may now send and receive all of our news and updates via the Internet. In addition to traditional news sources, this also includes interpersonal communications. For example, we may congratulate a friend on his or her marriage or new baby via Facebook despite the fact that we were not at the wedding and may never meet the child. This is just our new normal.
Georgia judge decreases Terrell Owens' child support payments
In recent years, due largely to the troubled economy and high unemployment rate, many Georgia parents have sought downward modifications of their court-ordered child support payments after the loss of a job or a reduction in their pay. This can even happen to celebrities and professional sports players, as evidenced by former NFL player Terrell Owens' attempts at child support modification following his entry into free agency.
Several states modify alimony laws; should Georgia be next?
In recent years, several states have modified their laws regarding alimony, or spousal support, in response to mass criticism claiming that the current laws are outdated and out of touch with modern marriages and family financial situations. With this seeming wave of alimony reform sweeping the country, many Atlanta residents are wondering if Georgia will be next.
Study: younger couples may experience a more painful divorce
A divorce is a difficult, painful experience, no matter when you do it. But according to a new study, people who divorce at a younger age and after fewer years of marriage may actually suffer greater physical and emotional harm from the split than people who filed for divorce at an older age.
After divorce, make sure to change your name with the IRS
If you have gone through the divorce process and come out on the other side, it may seem the hard work is over. However, that may not be true. Following a divorce, there are many details that must be taken care of, such as opening separate bank accounts, refinancing a mortgage in one spouse's name and taking a spouse off of health or car insurance, to name a few.
