Mom Must Pay $195,000 in Fees for Custody Battle in Fulton County

Greg Land

Daily Report

2014-01-02 00:00:13.0

The judge overseeing a child-custody battle that brought demonstrators to the Fulton County Courthouse twice this year in support of the mother has made a permanent his decision to keep the 11-year-old child at issue in the father's custody.

Judge John Goger of Fulton Superior Court also ordered the mother to pay $195,513 in attorney fees for pursuing child-abuse allegations against her ex-husband that the judge deemed not credible.



The rest of the article may be found at http://www.dailyreportonline.com/PubArticleFriendlyDRO.jsp?id=1202635308078.

Although this was not our case, we appear in front of this judge recently.  In a case that had similarities to this one, the judge kept custody with my client, the father, and ordered the mother to pay $12,000 in attorney's fees.   The court is sending a clear message about litigants who attempt to abuse the process.

TPO Orders | Domestic Violence

Georgia provides protection for battered spouses through a Temporary Protective Order or TPO. If a woman claims that she has been abused or harrassed, she can go to the courthouse in your count, file a petition, appear immediately before a judge, and obtain an order putting the man out of the house for a few days up to a few weeks. The sheriff will usually serve the order the same day and you are barely given enough time to pack a toothbrush.The court will then set a hearing, which by law, has to be within 30 days. At that hearing, both parties can appear and testify as to what really happened The judge can dismiss the protective order or continue it for up to a year. It is very important that you be represented in a TPO case. At times, the TPO law is abused. At times, people will assert claims of domestic violence to get a “leg up” in a pending divorce or custody battle. If you have been served with a TPO, do not delay. Contact Edwards & Associates today.