Tips for Divorcing After a Short Marriage in Atlanta

Short marriages are relatively common in the modern era. Although this situation might be frustrating, a divorce after just a few short years allows you to cut your losses, move on with your life, and take on future challenges. A divorce after a few years presents unique challenges, and spouses should speak with Atlanta divorce lawyers to learn more about facing these challenges.

Divorces After Short-Term Marriages May Have Limited Financial Consequences 

You should know that short-term marriages generally have fewer financial consequences compared to long-term marriages. First, consider the fact that if a marriage only lasts a few years, spouses have less time to accumulate marital property. Remember, all assets you own prior to marriage remain yours after divorce. In other words, you only really need to worry about dividing assets you acquire during marriage. Even if one or both spouses are high-net-worth, high-income individuals, they only have a limited time to accumulate wealth during a few years.

You should also know that alimony is probably not much of an issue after a short-term marriage. In fact, courts are often reluctant to award any alimony whatsoever after a marriage lasting two or three years. As a result, it might make more sense to prioritize other areas of concern – such as property division, child support, or child custody.

Children Often Take Center Stage After Short-Term Marriages 

Speaking of children, custody-related matters often take center stage after short-term marriages. Even if you have only been married for a few short years, this might have been more than enough time to welcome a child into the world.

Although property division and alimony consequences might be limited, the financial impact of child custody and child support can be considerable after short-term marriages. Assuming one parent receives child custody, child support payments could continue until the child graduates high school or turns 18. These payments could provide valuable financial support for not only children, but also single parents. This could be something worth prioritizing during a divorce after a short-term marriage.

Putting financial matters aside, parents often prioritize their children for purely emotional reasons, as divorce has a significant impact on their upbringing. This is perfectly understandable, and it may make sense to focus on gaining positive custody results rather than financial gains. An experienced family law attorney can certainly help you with this goal.

During custody battles after short-term marriages, the children in question are often quite young. As a result, it may be impossible for children to express their custody preferences due to their age and corresponding limited understanding of the situation. It may also make many other “best-interest factors” irrelevant, such as issues related to school, community, and church.

Can an Atlanta Divorce Lawyer Help After a Short Marriage? 

Spouses may have distinct priorities and goals when divorcing after short-term marriages. Although online research can help spouses understand how to navigate these situations, guidance from an Atlanta divorce lawyer may be more helpful. Consider speaking with Kaye, Lembeck, Hitt & French to get started with an action plan.

Sources 

childwelfare.gov/resources/determining-best-interests-child-georgia/

georgia.gov/file-divorce