Contested Divorce

A contested divorce is the traditional, standard way of beginning the divorce process. A Complaint is filed by the Petitioner and served on the spouse, who then has thirty (30) days to respond. There are a variety of reasons why you might want or need to begin your divorce process as a contested matter. Your spouse may be unwilling to talk to you about divorce issues. You may have concerns for your safety or for the safety of your children. You may not have sufficient knowledge of your family finances to be able to make good decisions about what is right for you financially. There are times when you may need to file for divorce without your spouse knowing what is happening in order that your finances be preserved. When a contested action is served on your spouse, your spouse will most likely be under a Standing Order from the Court that forbids the parties from wasting the assets of the marriage, thus aiding you in obtaining what is rightfully yours. You will need to call the office and schedule a consult with Ms. Hinson to begin a contested divorce action. The fee for a consult is $285.00 or the cash or check discount price of $275.00. For planning purposes, expect that your initial consult will take about an hour and a half. However, you will only be charged the one-hour fee. During this consult, you will gain valuable knowledge of Georgia law as it relates to all of the issues involved in your divorce. Often, after learning about Georgia law, people choose to try the uncontested route before proceeding in a contested manner. Ms. Hinson is skilled at advising you as to whether your situation has the potential to be solved in a less adversarial way. When representing you in a contested divorce, Ms. Hinson operates off of a retainer (or deposit) that you pay to the law firm. The funds that you pay are deposited into the law firm's escrow account and remain there until monthly detailed bills are generated. The money that you owe monthly is then moved to the law firm's operating account for the payment of all the law firm's overhead and expenses. If you have money left over after the copnclusion of Ms. Hinson's representation, that money will be refunded to you. Ms. Hinson never keeps client monies that have not been earned. The typical beginning retainer for a contested divorce is $5,700.00, (or $5,500.00 if paid using the cash or check discount) which represents twenty (20) hours of Ms. Hinson's time, though the retainer may vary according to your circumstances.