Legal Question in Family Law in Georgia
Unmarried couple's property & shared animal rights (GA)
My ex-boyfriend and I have recently ended a long-term live-in relationship of 4 years. He received a job opportunity in the state of Georgia and we moved due to his job opportunity, although I did not have a job in place at the time for the new residence. I am moving back to the state of Michigan and wondered what the rights of unmarried couples were for this state regarding property or personal belongings bought together, and also the rights of a person for a shared pet. He has chosen to be unwilling to compromise regarding the pet's caretake and will not agree to anything in writing. He agreed to let me take the pet when leaving the state (in approximately 2 weeks) but had recently changed his mind due to his financial/property situation. I'd like to know what rights, if any, I have regarding this situation. I feel that if I leave the state without the pet, I will never see the pet again. I was also recently threatened by him as he told me that if I left with the pet, he would ''kill me.'' He later apologized and stated his comment or threat was not literal but obviously this situation does not seem as though it will be resolved anytime soon. Any free legal advice, as I am a person with low income, would be appreciated.
2 Answers from Attorneys
Re: Unmarried couple's property & shared animal rights (GA)
Since you chose to live in a relationship that is not allowed by Georgia law, under a 30+ year old case, Rehak v Mathis, you have almost no rights at all.
You can probably get him arrested for terroristic threats (hopefully you made a police report). If you did that, you may be able to get a temporary protective order and have a judge rule on what personal property you can get. If you failed tp get a police report, you lost that opportunity.
Otherwise your rights are probably controlled by the contract you drew up with him when you moved in together, and no one should ever live with a boyfriend without seeing a lawyer to do that. If you also omitted that step, chalk it all up to experience and move on with your life, as what limited legal remedies you may have will be costly and possibly ineffective.
Re: Unmarried couple's property & shared animal rights (GA)
You have a complicated situation and I could spend hours discussing all your options. Bottom line: most judges try to do the right thing. Consult with a local attorney.
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