It is very unfortunate but whenever a marriage goes wrong it will inevitably end up in the court room. People who can no longer communicate peacefully with each other will need some outside experts to help them through the turmoil and this is where a divorce lawyer will be able to help. What a divorce attorney does is to figure out an equitable split of any assets that the couple has and put this to the judge who will make a final decision on the matter. Of course, the opposing expert will also be having a figure in mind and this is where the judge is needed to make important decisions.

These matters become much more complicated when there are children in the family. Their well-being must be first in the long list of requirements and the judge will always come down on their side. Things like their school fees, money for extracurricular activities and food and clothing etc will all be tallied up to see how much they need to live a reasonable lifestyle.

What will also be considered is where they will live. The mother and father may both want the children to live with them but the judge will have the final say. Although many would think that the kids will automatically be left with the mother, this is not always the decision that the court decides.

What the judge will have to consider is which of the parents is most able to take care of the children and where they actually live. For example, if the mother does not work, she will probably be given the family home and the children as well. The father will probably have access to the children but this will depend on how the marital split was achieved. If domestic violence was part of the picture then this will have some bearing on the whole deal for sure.

If it is the mother who is the breadwinner of the family then it just may be that the father will get custody so that the wife can go on earning. In these days of equality the woman has no more rights to her children than the father. Indeed, she may have to support the ex husband and the children too until the man finds another wife. However, as already mentioned, it is the kids who have priority in these cases.

The unfortunate part of a split like this is that often the man will have to support the ex- wife and the children until they reach the age of consent. This means that his life will be on hold until then. If he takes another wife, she may well have to support him since the major part of his income will be going to his first family. Not many women will go into a relationship like this since the overhang of one life into their new life together is often too stressful for it to be completely successful. Indeed, they may not be able to have children of their own because they will not have any spare money at all.

Author Bio: Stewart Wrighter has worked with an Atlanta divorce lawyer. His daughter worked with an Atlanta divorce attorney as a legal intern during the summer.

Category: Family Concerns
Keywords: Atlanta divorce lawyer,Atlanta divorce attorney