Marietta, Georgia, Divorce Law Blog

When you separate and divorce but have older children, it can be difficult to know exactly how to handle the situation. Older children have more independence, but that can also come across as trying to control the outcome of a situation they truly have no control over.

It's a good idea to approach a separation or divorce involving older children carefully. It's easy to alienate older children who may get fed up with the way their parents are acting or with the changes they don't want to go through. Older children can be more stubborn, although they also have the propensity to be more understanding.

If you have been experiencing marital issues for some time, the prospect of divorce might be lurking in your mind, but perhaps it seems like too permanent an action to take at the moment. Many couples in this situation opt for a trial separation before making a decision about divorce. If you are separated or considering separating from your spouse, you should make the time as productive as possible.

You can accomplish this by considering a few key factors while you are separated from your spouse. Divorce is a major decision, and you should be absolutely sure that it is the right one for you. Think about the following if you are trying to decide whether divorce is the right option for your family: 

In the category of what has changed significantly about marriage in the 21st century, add the fact that more couples are eschewing joint bank accounts and electing to keep their finances separate.

Sociologists and others who study this sort of thing site numerous reasons why Millennials are electing to keep money separate after marriage. For starters, couples are waiting longer to get married, which means individuals have established themselves in terms of career and salary. Letting go of financial independence can be tough after you’ve had it for a decade or more.

There are a lot of questions you may have when going through a divorce. How much does a divorce cost? Do I have to go to court, or are there more amicable ways to end my marriage? How does mediation work in Georgia?

Fortunately, there are other options you can take when you know your marriage is over, instead of traditional litigation. Mediation is one of the most common ways for couples to resolve their differences in a divorce, because of its simplicity and cost-effectiveness. The following points illustrate how mediation works:

• A certified mediator will work with you and your soon-to-be-ex-spouse to decide such aspects as property division and parenting arrangements. Depending on the points you need to resolve, mediation may take as little as one or as many as several sessions.
• Your mediator might be a family law attorney with experience in mediation. Additionally, attorneys may become certified in mediation to better serve their clients.
• You have the right to speak with your mediator in a private session if you have concerns you wish to bring up without your spouse present. Keep in mind that your spouse may do the same.
• Mediation is a form of negotiation, and it may teach you and your spouse valuable cooperation and compromising skills, which may be especially helpful if you share child custody. Ending your marriage this way requires both of you to treat each other with respect, even if you do not always get along.