Gainesville Georgia Legal Blog

People in Georgia who decide to divorce may face difficult questions about how to handle the marital home as part of the settlement. Unlike traditional financial assets, the home cannot simply be split like a bank account or retirement fund. However, unlike other sentimental items, the home has a great deal of material value and is often the largest single asset held by the divorcing couple. Due to the difficulties involved, many couples address this issue by selling the home as part of the divorce. The sale of the home allows the proceeds to be used to pay off a mortgage balance and distribute the remaining funds as part of the overall settlement.

However, in many cases, one spouse wants to remain in the family home after the divorce is concluded. This is especially common if there are children involved and the remaining spouse is the primary caregiver or custodial parent. While this can be a positive solution for some couples, it requires thinking about the financial consequences of keeping the home. In most cases, the remaining spouse will need to buy out the interest of the other spouse in the home, often requiring a significant sum.

Making your estate plan was a terrific first step, but don't assume that's the only step you need to take. Those documents may not work forever. Depending on how life moves forward, you may need to update them. Below are six reasons to look over your estate plan and consider changes.

1. Children become adults

When people in Georgia are hit in a car accident, they may not notice all of their symptoms immediately. In some cases, people may believe they are uninjured until the immediate shock of the accident wears away. In other cases, they may think they have only minor injuries only to discover later that there were far more serious concerns. It can be particularly important for accident victims to seek prompt medical care after an accident to highlight potentially dangerous, undetected signs of injury.

When people have headaches after a car accident, it can throw up a red flag. Headaches are often a sign of a serious concussion, a head or neck injury or even a blood clot on the brain. Traumatic brain injuries often go undetected immediately after a crash, but they can require treatment and cause long-term effects. Whiplash is another common injury that often goes missed immediately following a crash. Instead, people begin to notice neck and shoulder pain in the days following a crash. Because many whiplash-inducing crashes take place at low speed, people may dismiss their signs; however, diagnosis could require a CT scan or MRI to confirm the problem.

Some Georgia residents may have heard about a deadly limousine crash that occurred on Oct. 6 in New York. The limousine did not come to a stop at an intersection, hit a parked vehicle with no passengers in it and went into a ravine. In all, 20 people died in the accident. The limousine company owner was later taken into custody by police who allegedly said he appeared to be trying to flee and had suitcases in his car.

In March, the limousine had been taken in for inspection and cited for two instances of brake failure by the New York State Department of Transportation. In September, it was taken in a second time, and on that inspection, the DOT noted that problems from the earlier inspection were not addressed.