Atlanta Child Custody Modification Lawyer

Changing Your Child’s Custody Arrangement in Atlanta, Georgia

We review your situation and develop a plan to work towards your goals. We will help you understand what to expect and keep you informed at every step along the way.

When one or both parents have a significant change in their situation, child custody arrangements will need to be updated. In cases where both parents agree on what needs to change, the process is fairly simple. However, in cases where the parents are not in agreement, we may need to get the courts involved which can become a fairly involved and complex process.

Best Interest of the Child

A good custody plan is focused on the most stable and least disruptive outcome for the children. Parents need to be firm about what they need, but keep the kids as the main priority.

Whether you are working through an initial child custody arrangement or a modification, the Georgia Family Courts still look at the best interest of the child as the main criteria for the plan. The “best interest” standard is somewhat fluid and based on what’s best for the child at a given time, so it’s normal for that to change over time, for example:

One of the parents is moving and that creates a difficulty in getting to and from school
One of the parents would like the child or children to change schools
The child or children's school arrangements are causing them to be at one parent's house much more frequently, and a child support modification is needed as a result

Experience on Your Side

The legal team at Hobson & Hobson is ready to work towards the best possible outcome for you and your family.

We look forward to helping you work through the child custody modification process. However, we encourage parents to attempt to work with the other parent towards a plan that is agreeable to you both. If your ex-spouse is not going to work with you, the process to get a modification, while possible, will likely be both difficult and expensive. We are happy to provide an initial consultation so that we can help you understand what to expect both in terms of a timeline and an estimate of the cost.

Other Modifications

Parents Getting Re-Married

One parent getting remarried often leads to re-visiting an existing custody plan, as the introduction of a step-mom or step-dad can disrupt the balance of the previous agreement.

Another very common cause of having custody plans revisited and possibly modified is when one parent gets remarried or has a live-in boyfriend or girlfriend. The introduction of a new boyfriend or girlfriend or potentially step-mom or step-dad can have a big impact on the child’s relationship with their parent. Obviously a new romantic interest can create some very challenging situations either for the children themselves or the ex-spouse. There are no hard and fast rules for how a custody agreement would change after one of the parents is remarried. Our experienced custody attorneys can review your specific situation and try to give you an idea of what to expect.

When There are Drugs or Alcohol Involved

In cases where you suspect your child’s other parent is using drugs or alcohol to the point that it’s affecting the safety of your child, we can help.

A sustained and documented pattern of alcohol or drug use will be considered by the family law court. However, one parent simply stating that the other one “is doing drugs” or “is drunk all the time” will likely not be considered by the court. Issues that are documentable or as objective as possible are much more effective. For example, if you believe that your ex-spouse “goes out the bar every night” one thing, but the real issue is how many nights that the children are left unattended or without supervision. The key is to focus on the children, and not get involved in arguments that sound like two exes fighting.