Divorce Pitfalls | Alpharetta GA

The race to file first

There are a lot of moving parts in a divorce so there are many ways for things to go wrong. The best way to retain as much control over the process as possible is to file for divorce first.
Filing first has a lot of benefits for you:

You are in the driver’s seat. You get to set things in motion and your spouse has to respond to your moves.
Your spouse will not know how to plan because your tactics will be coming as a surprise. The uncertainty will keep your spouse off-balance throughout the process and that can help you in court.
You are able to present your evidence to the court before your spouse does. Just like in life, first impressions are important when dealing with a judge, and you can make yours count.
You can immediately ask for the assistance you need in the form of temporary orders to obtain child support, alimony, etc.

What happens if you can’t file first?

Don’t panic. It is not always possible to file first but it is a good idea to contact an experienced divorce attorney to help you through. At Hastings Shadmehry, we have obtained excellent results in plenty of cases for our clients when they were not able to file first. Unfortunately, the list of benefits above will be working against you, so you need someone with our years of trial experience to get the results you want.

Until you have spoken with our legal team, do not sign any papers that may be taken as an agreement. We will need to go over the particulars of your case to know where you stand and what you want out of the divorce. Then we can work to get you the spousal support, division of property, or custody arrangement that you require.

Are there hidden assets?

It is a common tactic for a spouse to hide away assets before a divorce. Since divorce is focused on fairly distributing assets, this can be a problem. If you suspect that your spouse is hiding assets then you need to contact the legal team at Hastings Shadmehry so we can find out for sure. We will make sure you get your fair share.

Don’t forget the little things

Your big assets like your home or car are hard to forget but there are other assets that are easy to overlook. If you aren’t careful, your spouse can walk away with a lot of money in the form of:

Jewelry
Antiques
Kitchen appliances
Gym and golf memberships
Season passes to sporting events or the theatre
Stock options
Deferred income retirement benefits
Reward points on credit cards
Checks for reimbursement

There is a lot to keep track of during a divorce and we understand it can be overwhelming. The outcome of a divorce will have a considerable impact on your life and we want to make sure it is a beneficial one. If you need help with your divorce or if you just have questions about the process, contact our team by email or call 770-641-8200.

Andee saved my life. She and her team treated me like family, and they truly cared about me and my children. If you need someone who will fight for you, but also can find creative solutions to difficult problems, Andee is the lawyer you want. Can't recommend her highly enough.

If you are reading this, it's possible you may be seeking guidance in a family matter. Knowing Andee and Amy personally, I've been overwhelmingly impressed not only with their professionalism, but also their insight into the intricacies of family law. Though I haven't been in need of their services on a personal level, I have referred them to friends and acquaintances will full confidence that they are in the best hands, and with little worry that the referral will reflect on me in a negative manner. What impresses me most is their caring attitude, making sure that their clients are in a safe space from day one.

I’m from out of state and needed an attorney in Georgia to help get my kids out of a bad environment. Looking for a great attorney in your hometown is hard enough but looking for one on the internet, out of state, is even harder. I came across the Hastings Shadmehrywebsite and after reading their reviews, I decided to give them a call. I needed to be able to trust an attorney who would not just take my money but someone who would fight for the best interest of my children and Amy did exactly what I was looking for in an attorney. Amy and her team attacked my case from every angle. Amy knows the law and is not afraid to deliberate. Amy is highly respected in her field and I would highly recommend her for anyone needing help with a custody case.