October 2014
The Family Lawyer 
Official Publication of the Atlanta Bar Association Family Law Section

Save the Date!
Mark your calendars for the following Family Law Section Events

Details are subject to change. Check your emails and the Atlanta Bar Association website for updates.

Family Law Section Breakfast
"View From the Bench"

Date: 10/9/2014
Time: 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM
Location: Buckhead Club
Speaker: The Honorable Bensonetta Tipton Lane, Superior Court of Fulton County

Mary B. Galardi Speaks at the September Family Law Breakfast
By William A. Alexander, Esq., Boyd Collar Nolen & Tuggle, LLC

On September 11, 2014, Mary B. Galardi, Esq. of Galardi Law in Atlanta, Georgia spoke to the Atlanta Bar Family Law Section. One of Ms. Galardi's areas of expertise is in Estate Planning, and given her extensive expertise and experience in estate planning and guiding families and individuals through major life changes such as marriage or divorce, she was generous enough to provide the following tips and insight regarding the interplay between family law and estate planning:

Prior to Filing for Divorce

When it comes to planning to file for divorce, there are a number of estate planning considerations to take into account. First, consider having your client prepare a new will. If your client has a will in place which provides that his or her spouse will receive the entire estate, that provision will remain in effect if the process of the divorce has not been finalized. In all likelihood, if your client is preparing to file for divorce, he or she would like to reallocate the disposition of his or her assets.

Case Law Update
By Stephanie L. Wilson, Esq., and Corey A. Aitken, Esq., Stern & Edlin, P.C.

Murphy v. Murphy
A14A0700
August 4, 2014

In 2012, Father filed a modification of custody action against Mother, seeking to modify the custody provisions of the parties' divorce decree. In August 2013, the court entered a temporary order, denying Father's request for a temporary modification and ratifying the status quo as to visitation with the minor children and the parties' ongoing practices as to out-of-state travel. The court further held that in the event the parties were unable to settle all issues in the case after a custody evaluation, then the court would conduct a final hearing on the issues of custody and parenting time. Thereafter, in September 2013, the court likewise entered an order, wherein it denied a motion filed by Mother, wherein she sought to have the court-appointed Guardian Ad Litem disqualified.

 

Free Family Law Clinic Launches in Fulton County

The Superior Court of Fulton County, Georgia Hispanic Bar Association and John Marshall Law School team up to provide free legal services to self-represented individuals in Fulton County.

August 27, 2014 Atlanta - The Superior Court of Fulton County Family Division in partnership with Atlanta's John Marshall Law School (AJMLS) and the Georgia Hispanic Bar Association (GHBA) is pleased to announce a new pilot project beginning this September designed to address the growing need for legal assistance for the self-represented individuals in family court. The Fulton County Family Law Clinic (FLC) will provide legal services to low income persons, including non-English speaking litigants, involved in family matters.

 

Call for Volunteers for Fulton County Family Law Workshop
By Melody Z. Richardson, Pachman Richardson, LLC and Tracy B. Johnson, Director, Superior Court of Fulton County Family Division

The Family Law Section of the Atlanta Bar Association, in collaboration with the Fulton County Superior Court Family Division, would like to support a new initiative for self-represented litigants in Fulton County. We are interested in launching a Family Law Workshop at the Fulton County Courthouse. Depending on the number of attorneys who express an interest in presenting, the Workshops would be held at least once a month, and, ideally, once a week.

The educational seminar would last about an hour, giving litigants a broad overview of the domestic relations process. Presenters would use a prepared PowerPoint presentation to explain the various domestic relations actions and highlight matters such as service, jurisdiction, scheduling and requirements of the court. 

Volunteer Interest Meeting: October 21, 2014 
Location: Fulton County Courthouse 
Time: 4:30 pm

In This Issue
2014-2015 Section Board of Directors

Newsletter Editor
Emily S. Yu

Chair
Gary P. Graham

Vice Chair/Chair-Elect
Louis J. Tesser

Secretary
Hannibal Heredia

Treasurer
Rachel Miller 

Immediate Past Chair
Eileen Thomas

Members at Large
Rebecca Crumrine Rieder
Melinda (Mindy) C. Pillow
J. Ashley Sawyer
Eileen J. Shuman
Follow Us

Like us on Facebook   Follow us on Twitter    View our profile on LinkedIn
The Section Thanks its Annual Sponsors