Atlanta, Georgia Family Law Attorney
Regina I. Edwards

As a skilled Georgia Family Law Attorney, I am constantly aware that family law involves both the legal and emotional aspects of your case. In these cases, you need competent counsel and caring advice on the matters that affect you and your family. My entire practice is devoted to serving clients in the Atlanta metropolitan area in all areas of family law, including:

• Divorce
• Custody
• Modification/Contempt
• Paternity/Legitimation
• Domestic Violence
• Property and Debt Division
• Prenuptial Agreements
• Child Support
• Jurisdictional Issues
• Spousal Support (Alimony)
• Divorce Mediation

Our primary goal is to provide you with outstanding, cost-effective representation. While family law matters can be an emotional and complicated process, we will counsel you on how to best resolve your matter without unnecessary court proceedings. In addition to the emotional aspects that can accompany divorce or family law matters, you may also face an array of financial concerns. As an experienced Atlanta, Georgia Family Law Attorney, our firm is prepared to advise you and to litigate issues in valuation and division of marital assets, to include as family-owned businesses, investments, stocks and retirement benefits and pensions. You can be confident in our knowledge and determination to protect your financial rights and assets.

We will guide you through the difficult and often convoluted court process, while listening to the concerns and issues most important to you. Our office is equipped with the latest cutting-edge technology, enabling me to be on the forefront of legal and other advances, while simultaneously improving my ability to communicate with and transmit information to clients. Every staff member of our Firm recognizes that attorney-client communication is the key to effective representation.

We pledge to efficiently and effectively process your case, so that you can move forward with your life. We use Alternative Dispute Resolution techniques, including mediation and collaborative law, to help you minimize your overall costs, while simultaneously working towards achieving your desired outcome.

In addition to being an experienced domestic litigation attorney, I am a certified collaborative law attorney. The Collaborative Law process creates a cooperative environment where constructive communication can take place, and provides an arena in which the parties can work together to resolve their issues. This process is ideal for those clients who wish to resolve their dispute peacefully, cost-effectively, and without court hearing and trials. When children are involved, the children have their own advocate that can express their concerns throughout what can be a difficult transition in their lives. In addition, in a case that would require an expert opinion, the parties can jointly hire one neutral expert, which expedites the case and reduces the overall expense.

In the event litigation is necessary, you can be confident in my ability to aggressively litigate and represent your interest, and draw upon years of courtroom experience to help you achieve the best possible result in your case.

• I have practiced family law for years in 27 different counties in Georgia, in State, Superior and Federal courts. Our firm focuses our practice on family law in an effort to effect a change towards cooperative, cost-effective resolution of family law disputes. Our Firm has a commitment to practice only family law matters, thereby allowing our staff to be on the cutting-edge of new case law, judge changes and procedures that affect your case.
• Our fee structure will be clearly set out in our retainer agreement, along with our hourly rates. I do not charge for routine and out-of-pocket expenses, which will save you money over the life of your case.
• All phone calls received before 5:00 p.m. on regular business days will be returned the same day.
• I use a Blackberry for remote e-mail access, so my clients are able to reach me in the event they have an emergency development in their case.
• I am always available to clients for consultations about their case upon request. However, most clients do not need to exercise this option. Our office will update you at least once per week on the status of your case, and will contact you promptly if a development occurs.
• Our office uses cutting-edge technology to handle our cases and communicate with our clients. Family law matters can be especially time-sensitive; therefore all documents and correspondence received are scanned and e-mailed to the client the same day for their review. All pleadings are sent to the client for review prior to filing. We have a secure server and the entire client file is uploaded to the server for the client to constantly have access to his case.

Recent Successes

I represented a wife in a hotly contested divorce case. There were significant assets between my client and her husband. Unfortunately, her husband's demands were unreasonable, and our attempts to resolve the case through mediation were not successful. My client ended up getting a substantial alimony and property settlement of more than $2 million, her home worth over $900,000 and full reimbursement of attorney's fees.

I represented a father in a divorce who requested sole custody of his three young children, due to his wife's alcoholism. Prior to the trial, the wife's attorney was very confident no father would gain custody of such young children. She demanded that we drop our claim for custody. We declined, and proceeded to trial. We had numerous witnesses and affidavits supporting our claims of the wife's alcohol abuse. The judge found our statements and evidence credible and awarded full custody to the father.

If you or a loved one is involved in a divorce or child custody case and you need the help of an experienced Atlanta, Georgia family lawyer, call Regina Edwards today at 866-748-9657, or complete the contact form provided on this site to arrange your initial consultation.

Practice Areas and Legal Definitions

Divorce:
A court of law is the only way one can obtain a divorce decree, dissolution, legal separation, nullity or other form of terminating a marriage.  Other than the termination of the marital estate, the court also has jurisdiction to resolve other issues that are intertwined in the existing marriage which include, but are not limited to: custody and visitation rights, division of property of the marital estate, spousal support, child support, restraining orders, etc.

Property and Debt Division:
Marital property attained during marriage, regardless of whose name it is under, can be divided.  Marital property can include real estate (including a home bought in contemplation of marriage), pension plans, vehicles, bank accounts, income tax refunds and/or household furnishings.  However, property that is inherited by one spouse is not considered marital property, i.e. a family business or estate.  If you are contractually bound with your ex-spouse on a debt, the creditor can require the entire payment of that debt from your share of the community property even though the divorce decree assigns the debt to your ex-spouse.  Depending on the terms of your divorce decree, you may be able to have certain support obligations under the divorce decree determined to be non-dischargeable by the bankruptcy court or in state court.

Prenuptial Agreements:
A prenuptial, or premarital agreement (often referred to as a "pre-nup") is a written contract created by two individuals who plan to be married.  This agreement lists all individually owned property, such as homes and businesses, family assets, stocks and bonds, savings accounts as well as debts, and specifies what will and will not remain individually owned property after the legalization of marriage.  Prenuptial agreements also specify whether spousal support will be paid in the event of a divorce, and the intentions regarding distribution of individually owned property upon death.

A factor that cannot be stipulated in a prenuptial agreement is child support.  A couple cannot lawfully agree in a prenuptial agreement that either part will in no way be responsible for child support.  Also, a few states do not allow prenuptial agreements to modify or eliminate the right of a spouse to receive court-ordered alimony at divorce, although a prenuptial agreement can facilitate in the degree of compensation.

Child Custody:
Custody is the charge and control of a child, including the right to make all major decisions such as education, religious upbringing, training, health and welfare.  Custody usually refers to a combination of physical custody and legal custody.  Many factors influence an award of custody and the way a case is presented in court can have a large impact on the result for you and your children.  If you are awarded the children as a primary custodial parent, it has far reaching consequences both to you and to their well-being and development.

Child Support:
Child support is a periodic payment made to a custodial parent from a non-custodial parent to help compensate a child's living expenses, i.e. food, clothes, etc., and any other related debts.  When one parent is awarded sole custody, as in the event of a divorce, the non-custodial parent is required to fulfill his or her child support obligation by making set payments, whereas the custodial parent meets his or her support obligation through the custody itself.  When parents are awarded joint custody in a divorce, however, the support obligation is shared and is based on a ratio of each parent's income and the amount of time the child spends with each parent.

The obligation to support minor children cannot be waived by either parent and is a right enjoyed by the child, not the parent.  Each state has guidelines that factor the amount of child support, such as the amount of time spent with the child, the income of both parents and the standard of living the child is accustomed to.  The court may allow deductions for items such as catastrophic medical expenses and travel expenses for visitation.

Jurisdictional Issues:
When faced with a relocating custodial parent, the court will general require that parent to give the other parent a minimum amount of notice prior to the anticipated move.  This notice gives the non-custodial parent an opportunity to go to court and seek orders restraining the relocation of the child.

These so-called move away cases have gone back and forth on allowing and disallowing a move by the custodial parent with the minor children for over 20 years.  While the best interests of the child have always been central to the decision, the uncertainty has made this area murky.  Prior to the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act, when parents sought an advantage in a custody tug-of-war, they would move to a "friendly" jurisdiction (that is, a region with a history of rulings favorable to their position). However, after the UCCJA was adopted by all 50 states, family law courts were forced to defer jurisdiction to the home state, and this custody battle tactic lost favor.

Spousal Support (Alimony):
Alimony is temporary or permanent financial support paid from one separated spouse to the other, either in one lump sum or in installments.  Alimony is designed to provide the lower-income spouse with money for living expenses over and above the money provided by child support.  Alimony differs from child support because it is at the discretion of the judge.  Child support is usually determined by state-sanctioned guidelines.

There are several factors a judge considers when deciding whether to grant alimony. These differ from state to state, of course, but they usually involve things like the parties' relative ability to earn money, both now and in the future; their respective age and health; the length of the marriage; the kind of property involved, and the conduct of the parties. In general, about the only time a judge will award alimony in most states is where one spouse has been economically dependent on the other spouse for most of a lengthy marriage.

Adoption:
Adoption is the legal process by which a person becomes a lawful member of a family different from their birth family.  Once a final order of adoption has been ruled by a court of law, the adoptive parents gain the same rights and responsibilities as parents whose children are born to them; subsequently, an adopted child gains the same rights as birth children in regard to inheritance, child support and other legal matters.  In most U.S. jurisdictions, at the time the adoption is finalized, the adopted child's name is legally changed and the court orders the issuance of a new, amended birth certificate.

Divorce Mediation:
The basic attitude marking divorce mediation is a focus on solving problems, not fighting the fight. Family mediation is a voluntary process which gives a divorcing or separating couple the opportunity to make their own arrangements for their financial and personal future, while protecting themselves and their children from distress and the needless expense of litigation.  The strength of a mediated agreement is that it is built by both parties together in an open process that requires all participants to recognize and make accommodation for the needs of the other participants, often without having to compromise one’s own.

While no two situations are alike, the emphasis in a mediated approach is to achieve a satisfactory settlement in an efficient, cooperative manner.  This might include "four-way" settlement conferences where the parties meet along with their divorce mediation lawyers to work on a settlement.  The philosophy of Divorce Mediation is that as much effort should be exerted toward settlement as is traditionally spent in preparation for and conducting a trial.

Paternity:
Paternity covers all the matters related to proving the parentage of a child or children. For married couples, paternity of a child is assumed to be the spouse, unless there is a court order or judgment stating otherwise. For unwed parents, paternity can be established by signing an Affidavit of Parentage or by filing a paternity action with the court.

Legally establishing paternity or determining that someone is not the parent of child can have a significant impact on divorce settlements, property division, child custody, child support and the ability to move out of state.  Determinations of paternity can also have a significant impact on interstate conflict between unwed parents.

If you or a loved one is involved in a divorce or child custody case and you need the help of an experienced Atlanta, Georgia Family Law Attorney, call Regina Edwards today at 866-748-9657, or complete the contact form provided on this site to schedule your initial consultation.

Professional Profile

If you or a loved one is involved in a divorce or child custody case and you need the help of an experienced Atlanta, Georgia Family Law Attorney, call Regina Edwards today at 866-748-9657, or complete the contact form provided on this site to schedule your initial consultation.

FIRM ADDRESS:
Edwards & Associates
3445 Peachtree Road, Suite 350
Atlanta, GA 30326
Phone: 866-748-9657
Hours: M-F, 8:00AM-5:00PM

MEMBERS OF THE FIRM:

Regina Edwards
Regina Edwards is the Owner and Managing Attorney of Law Office of Regina I. Edwards. Ms. Edwards has been practicing law in Georgia since 2001. She graduated magna cum laude from North Carolina Central University after three years of study in Political Science, Spanish and French. Ms. Edwards received departmental awards in Spanish, Pre-Law, English and Mathematics. Ms. Edwards attended Tulane University School of Law where she concentrated in family law courses. While in law school, Ms. Edwards clerked for several prestigious law firms in a variety of areas, including defense litigation, fair housing litigation, and public interest.

Following her admission to the bar, Ms. Edwards expanded her experience to encompass many areas of civil litigation, to include divorces, custody, legitimation, public housing, Social Security, disability, domestic violence, education, consumer advocacy and unemployment. Ms. Edwards found her passion to be family law and domestic litigation cases, and began to focus her practice exclusively in those areas. Ms. Edwards has several years of complex family law litigation experience. She has tried contested matters - involving issues such as domestic violence, child custody, child support, alimony, equitable division of marital property, and contempt actions before both judges and juries in Georgia's Superior and Juvenile courts.

Potential clients can be assured that Ms. Edwards possesses the necessary experience and dedication to family law, and will give each and every client the personal attention that their case requires. Ms. Edwards takes pride in handling each client and case personally, and will return all client phone calls the same day. The law firm is dedicated to using cutting-edge technology in order to process your case and file more efficiently and more cost-effectively for her clients. Ms. Edwards and her staff attend educational seminars and programs to ensure that the most current law and updates and available for use in your case.

EDUCATION:

• Juris Doctor, Tulane School of Law, 2001
• B.A., Political Science, North Carolina Central University

BAR ADMISSIONS:

• State Bar of Georgia
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Georgia
• Georgia Court of Appeals
• Supreme Court of Georgia

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:

• Volunteer at Another Chance, a shelter for abused and neglected children
• Pro bono guardian ad litem for truant children for the Truancy Intervention Project
• Volunteer as mentor for educational neglect and early intervention cases for Kids in Need of Dreams, Inc.
• Volunteer, Hands on Atlanta

ASSOCIATIONS:

• Member, Family Law Sections of both the State Bar of Georgia and the Atlanta Bar Association