Fulton County Family Division
Divorce Cases in Fulton County are Handled Differently Than in Every Other County in the State of Georgia.
There are 159 counties in the state of Georgia. One hundred fifty-eight of those counties handle domestic relations cases under the same basic set of rules. Fulton County handles its domestic relations cases differently. In 1998, the Fulton County Family Division was established to handle domestic relations cases exclusively. Today, there are three Superior Court Judges who devote all of their time to such cases. The purpose of the Family Division is to make domestic relations cases less adversarial, under the theory that parties who reach an agreement are less likely to litigate in the future.
What Happens at a 30-Day Status Conference?
Even though Fulton County attempts to make domestic relations actions less adversarial, it does not mean that less preparation is needed. In fact, the converse is true; there is actually more time expended and more preparation needed at the outset of your case. At the time that a domestic relations action is filed, a 30-Day Status Conference is scheduled in which the parties and their attorneys, if retained, must appear to meet with a judicial officer. At this conference, each party is required to complete a Domestic Relations Financial Affidavit, Court-Ordered Interrogatories, and Court-Ordered Documents to be Produced to be exchanged with the other party. These documents incorporate significant disclosures (e.g., financial disclosures, child care plans, etc.) that can be used against you unless they are carefully prepared.
Kupferman & Golden, Attorneys at Law, will work with you to prepare formal responses that will best serve your case in order to obtain your goals. At this Conference, temporary issues can be addressed. In addition, a guardian ad litem or psychologist can be requested and appointed, if custody/visitation is at issue. At the close of this Conference, a 60-Day Status Conference is scheduled, in which the parties and their attorneys must also attend in order to address any new issues that may have arisen as well as to schedule mediation.
What Other Court Appearances Will I Have to Make in the Fulton County Family Division?
In addition to the 60-Day Status Conference, there will be other court appearances for the parties and/or their attorneys, including the 120-Day Status Conference, mediation, late case evaluation, temporary hearing, motions hearings, calendar calls and a final trial, though not all of these court appearances are required in every case. It is the hope of the judges of the Family Division that the parties will settle their issues at one of these stages. However, you do not just show up at one of these appearances and settle your case. Unless you are fully prepared at each one of these appearances, you will either not settle your case, or you will settle your case on terms that do not meet your goals.
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From offices in Atlanta, Kupferman & Golden, Attorneys at Law, advises and represents clients in communities in metro-Atlanta, Georgia, including Fulton County, Gwinnett County, Cobb County, DeKalb County, Cherokee County, Hall County, Douglas County, Clayton County, and Forsyth County, including the communities of Buckhead, Decatur, Marietta, Alpharetta, Cumming, Lawrenceville, Duluth, Dunwoody, Johns Creek, Roswell, Smyrna, Sandy Springs, Brookhaven and Norcross, Georgia.