Marietta Georgia Divorce Law Blog

Thinking about divorce before a wedding may seem wrong to residents of Georgia and elsewhere, but experts say it is important for soon-to-be newlyweds to think about the possibility. Many individuals who fail to prepare can be shocked by the financial and legal ramifications. One Georgia columnist interviewed a divorce attorney to find out how couples preparing to marry may also prepare for divorce.

The attorney recommends that each party find out about any debt in the other's name before marrying. Although pre-existing debt is generally considered individual, any additional debt that accumulates after the wedding will likely be considered a marital obligation. Even though pre-marital assets are not divided upon divorce, couples should separate these assets if they wish to protect them from an eventual divorce. This is because pre-marital assets that are used to contribute to a marriage could be deemed eligible for division. For instance, if a couple uses pre-marital homes to pay for a home or a car, some courts might view this as a "gift to the marriage" and divide it.

NeNe Leakes, who is known for her central role on the reality television program "Real Housewives of Atlanta," has finalized her divorce from her husband, according to a Georgia court. The couple's marital drama and resulting divorce was the focus of the last two seasons of the program, leading some critics to suggest that the couple or the show's producers were staging the marital problems for the purposes of boosting ratings.

When the divorce was announced during the season finale of the program, viewers across the country took to the Internet to discuss whether the divorce had actually occurred. In 2011, reports surfaced that she would star in her own spin-off that covered her life as a newly single woman. When that show failed to materialize, many fans assumed that the Leakes' divorce would not happen. Also fueling the skepticism were numerous reports of the couple appearing in public together in 2011 while saying they were close to a divorce.

Despite the rarity of sealed divorce cases, one Georgia county has recently become home to two such cases. Georgia judges are granted the discretion to seal cases in order to keep their details from the public eye, but legal experts say the privilege rarely sees use in the states.

In one case, a man filed for divorce from his wife in late 2011 after a marriage of several months, citing irreconcilable differences. His wife's attorney filed a counterclaim alongside an answer to the filing, but the details of those documents remain off limits to the public. This is because a judge sealed the paperwork for 99 years five days after they were filed. In explaining why he chose to seal the complaint and answer, the judge referred to them as scandalous, impertinent and inappropriate pleadings.

A 22-year-old man has been arrested on a warrant for failing to pay child support after he won the lottery. According to police, the man is the son of a British fugitive who was recently arrested by police in the United States.

The 22-year-old was arrested just weeks after his father's capture and faces charges of failing to pay owed child support. In Georgia and several other states, non-custodial parents who fail to pay child support can face jail time, fines, or both.