“How do I know that the baby is really mine? What are my responsibilities if I am not married to the mother?” When legitimation is needed Georgia law considers a child as born “out of wedlock” when the parents are not married to each Read More 
Paternity and Legitimation
“How do I know that the baby is really mine? What are my responsibilities if I am not married to the mother?” When legitimation is needed Georgia law considers a child as born “out of wedlock” when the parents are not married to each Read More Cobb County Alimony
The Georgia Supreme Court affirmed an interesting Cobb County alimony decision on March 18, 2013, in the case of Goodell v. Oliver, 2013 WL 1092898 (Ga.) The husband and wife married in 1999, and each had children from prior marriages. They had no children together. Read More If I Die Who Gets Custody of My Child
If I die who gets custody of my child under Georgia child custody law? It is scary how often we hear this question from concerned parents. Concerns About the Other Parent. Sometimes the child’s other parent would be a disaster as a Read More Custody Election 14 Year Old
The Georgia statute permitting custody election 14 year old has been in place in its current form since 2008. Click here for a summary of the 2008 law. A Georgia 14 year old has the right to select the parent with whom he or Read More 2013 ESTATE TAX LAW UPDATE FROM HINDSON AND MELTON LLC
Key features of 2013 estate tax laws after American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (ATRA) include the following. Information from partner Karen Hindson of the Georgia and South Carolina estate planning firm Hindson & Melton LLC: The exclusion amount of $5 million continues in Read More
Child Support Modification and Contempt of Court
A child support modification (or child custody modification, or visitation modification) and a contempt of court action can now be filed together in the same petition, even if the Defendant resides in a county other than the county of the original Read More
Stepparent Adoption Georgia Law ǀ Hindson & Melton LLC
A recent stepparent adoption case before the Georgia Court of Appeals reminds us that adoption laws are to be construed in favor of the natural parents. The March 1, 2013, decision Hafer v. Lowry involved a stepparent adoption petition filed a month after the Read More Estate Planning Checkup ǀ Hindson and Melton LLC
Estate Planning Checkup - Last Will and Testament. Have there been signficant changes in your assets or your family situation since you signed your Last Will and Testament? Are the persons you named as Executor, Guardian for your children, or Trustee Read More
Living Will for Georgia or South Carolina Residents
Living Wills for Georgia or South Carolina residents need not be complex, but the decisions contained in these documents could be incredibly important to your family. The statutory living will forms for both states are provided here at no cost as a public service. If Read More
Georgia Court Authorizes Minor Abortion without Parental Notification
On January 18, 2013, the Georgia Court of Appeals reversed a juvenile court order denying minor abortion without parental notification and cleared the way for the abortion to proceed. The Court of Appeals found that the juvenile court failed to render its decision within Read More
