My 10th Year In
Just as family dynamics are always changing, the laws that define families and their rights are ever-changing and ever-growing. In my first year of practice, I thought I knew all I needed to know about family dynamics, and I thought I knew just how those laws impacted those dynamics. I am now in my 10th year of practice, and in those almost 10 years, I have changed, just as the laws have changed. In those 10 years I have grown in my understanding and seen changes in how I view family and the impacts Family Law can have on families. In those 10 years I have seen changes in child custody law, child support law, adoption law, probate law, and appellate law. And with each change in the law, comes a change in my understanding of family dynamics and how those two ideas impact each other.
For example, at the beginning of this year, Family Law saw a significant change in the law on how child support is calculated. Parenting time deviations as of January 1, 2026, are no longer discretionary for the court to decide. Parenting time deviations are now a required part of the child support worksheets that are prepared and submitted to courts when child support is at issue. Because the law is so new, there are likely no cases, or Appellate Court Opinions, interpreting the new law. There will no doubt be some soon, and we will be ready to review those Opinions and advise clients on how they impact the new law. And with the change in the law also came a change in my understanding of family dynamics.
Being educated and practiced in updates and modifications of the laws that change the lives of families we serve is paramount to the work we do, and so is understanding the change in family dynamics stemming from these new laws. Day in and day out we are expanding our knowledge and growing for the betterment of our clients. We are adding to the foundation upon which our knowledge was built. We are building upon the understanding we have of the law in general and how its structure in our legal system impacts families.
There are 53 Titles that hold all the laws in Georgia, from Title 1 laying out General Provisions to Title 53 encompassing the laws for Wills, Trusts, and Administration of Estates. In each of those 53 Titles there are Chapters, and in each of the Chapters there are Sections. There are hundreds and hundreds of laws. And from those hundreds and hundreds of laws, there are thousands upon thousands of cases, Appellate Opinions, that interpret those laws. Each year those laws are added to, modified, or repealed. And every day Appellate Opinions are issued that provide guidance and direction to lawyers on how to interpret the law and advise clients.
From the recent change in the child support law, to the update on how appeals are handled, to the change in requirements for adoption petitions and service of the same, to the nuances of how courts around the states work, it is important you find a law firm rooted in success and understanding of the changing field of Family Law. While we know, at the core, families are families, we also know the idea of family within the law and the laws themselves are always changing. Complacency is not a word in our lexicon and growth is a part of our core values.
