Category Archives: Family Law

Parental Alienation: Identifying, Addressing, And Combating This Family Law Challenge
It’s actually extremely common for children to take one parent’s side in a divorce, especially if the kids are old enough to fully understand what’s going on. But it’s something else entirely when a child starts refusing to see the other parent, or the other parent doesn’t follow court-ordered visitation or joint-custody plans. At… Read More »

Life Forward – Let Me (Re)Introduce Myself, I’m Melissa Davis
In the modified words of The Rolling Stones, please allow me to (re)introduce myself. Last week, I legally restored my name to Melissa Davis. And it’s good to be me again. There’s no grudge or anything to prove. It’s just about me being me. Yes, it’s going to be a nightmare to go to the DMV and Social… Read More »

Founding Partner Melissa Davis Honored to Argue on Behalf of a Client Before The Supreme Court of Georgia
Recently, I had the incredible honor of arguing on behalf of one of Buckhead Family Law’s clients before the Supreme Court of Georgia, defending the constitutionality of Georgia’s grandparent visitation statute. It was a humbling experience to appear before Georgia’s highest court and a great reminder of the significance of the work we do… Read More »

Five Benefits To Filing First In A Divorce
The decision to move forward with a divorce filing is unquestionably difficult. One factor in making that decision for many people can be whether to file themselves or wait to see if their spouse files before them. For many people, this also raises the question of whether there are any benefits to being the… Read More »

Does Georgia Recognize Common Law Marriage?
Marriage can be complicated enough under normal circumstances. But what about when two people live together for a significant period of time and hold themselves out as spouses, despite never formalizing it through a ceremony or license? For a long time, Georgia (and many other states) recognized “common law marriage,” which is a legal… Read More »

How To Divide Custody And Visitation During The Summer
Summer can be both an exciting and daunting time of year, especially for separated parents. For single working parents of kids on summer break, without a plan in place with the other parents for childcare, it can be difficult to take care of the kids while juggling your other daily responsibilities. This is where… Read More »

Recent Court Rulings On Georgia’s Equitable Caregiver Act
Georgia’s Equitable Caregiver Act, which went into effect in just July 2019, allows trial courts to grant the status of equitable caregiver to groups of non-biologically related adults who may have previously had no parental rights but have played a fundamental, parent-like role in a child’s life. Now, three years later, Georgia’s courts have… Read More »

Using Soberlink As A Safety Measure For Alcohol Abuse In Parenting Plans
Sometimes, one divorced parent needs to ensure that the other former spouse is following the law and sticking to the tenets of their parenting plan. When the other spouse has a history of alcohol abuse, it’s necessary to ensure that they are staying sober and not putting the children at risk. This is where… Read More »

Options For Valuing And Dividing Marital Residence During The Real Estate Boom
In the current real estate market, one of the most difficult things to do in the event of a divorce is to put a value on the marital residence and find a way to divide that cost that both parties agree with. When you add in the fact that there is currently a real… Read More »

Apple Responds To AirTag Stalking Cases
Since Apple’s AirTags were introduced last year, there have been increasing numbers of reports of people using these discrete devices to track or stalk others. For the uninitiated, Apple’s AirTags are small tracking devices intended to be used to help users find personal items, such as keys, bags, purses, and other smaller items that… Read More »