Legal Question in Family Law in Georgia
divorce
my mother has temperary custody pf my 15 and 16 year old and has had it for 3 years iam filing a doit yourself divorce we have been seperated for 8 years he has not contacted the girls in over 6yrs he is not contesting the divorce he does not object to the girls being with my mother when i fill out the papers do the girls need to mentioned in the divorce do i need totake the parenting class does he if hte girls want to stay with my mother and by georgia law are old enough to choose where they stay?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: divorce
You need a lawyer. It is virtualy impossible to do any divorce without counsel, and in a case where a third party has custody, it is highly unlikely that you will be able to draft paperwork (no form will come close to fitting the case) that a judge will sign. To answer what would have to be done, one would need to have read the temporary custody order, and it is very likely custody, support and other issues will have to be addressed in the divorce.
Get a lawyer. You need one more than most divorce litigants. When lawyers get divorced, even they hire a lawyer.
One additional note: children do NOT get to choose. In some situations, they may get to express a preference, and given your fact pattern whether they should or should not is an issue you need to discuss with counsel.