Evans Georgia Legal Blog

Tips for driving in winter

On behalf of Harrison & Medlin, P.C. posted in car wrecks on Wednesday, November 13, 2019.

Winter driving in Georgia can be more dangerous than driving in the other seasons when there is no risk of snow and ice. However, drivers can take precautions that keep the roads safer.

First, in inclement weather, only necessary trips should be made. Drivers should stay off the road when there is snow and ice unless they need to be at work or must run important errands. When being on the road is unavoidable, they should leave plenty of time to get to their destination. Driving too fast puts everyone at risk.

Handling visitation, custody and support with infants

On behalf of Harrison & Medlin, P.C. posted in child custody and child support on Friday, November 8, 2019.

It's important for Georgia parents to understand how to handle family law issues related to child custody and child support. When a child is an infant, there are specific concerns to address. To ensure the child's needs are met and the parents feel comfortable with the arrangement, it is wise to consider key factors.

Visitation rights with infants can be complicated. While there is no foolproof strategy, there are basic points to make the process easier. It is natural to be reticent with an infant. Adjusting to parenthood takes time. Parents should pay attention to signs that the baby is giving. Learning is imperative and both parents should go at their own pace, using individual strategies.

Deaths on U.S. highways decrease

On behalf of Harrison & Medlin, P.C. posted in car wrecks on Thursday, October 31, 2019.

Many Georgia residents will be happy to hear that car wrecks causing fatalities have decreased over the last two years and continued to stay low during 2019. According to the National Highway Traffic Administration, there was a 2.4% decrease in car accident fatalities in 2018 and a 3.4% decrease for the first half of 2019. This organization attributes this decrease in deaths on U.S. roads to technology installed in newer vehicles that helps to prevent crashes.

The statistics show that there are specific areas where decreases were experienced. In 2018, fatalities that were attributed to driving above the speed limit fell by 7.5%. Deaths related to motorcycles went down by 4.7%, and fatalities that were related to driving under the influence of alcohol dropped by 3.6%.

When visitation time is a danger for kids

On behalf of Harrison & Medlin, P.C. posted in child custody and child support on Saturday, October 26, 2019.

Divorced and separated parents may experience frequent conflicts about child custody and visitation time. In most cases, it is best for the children when parents can work together successfully to develop a parenting plan even when their romantic relationship no longer works. However, there are some cases in which a custodial parent may have significant, justified concerns about turning his or her child over to his or her ex for visitation time.

In some cases, both parents may share joint custody of the kids. In other situations, the children may live mainly with their custodial parent, but the parenting plan will also include scheduled visitation time with the noncustodial parent. In many cases, kids may spend every other weekend with their noncustodial parent. When the children and parents live a long distance away from one another, the kids may have visitation time during summers and school holidays. Parents may deal with inconveniences like requests to change weekends or shift timing on a regular basis, but that is typically not a reason to allow a custodial parent to interfere with scheduled visitation time.

Joint custody arrangements not always exempt from child support

On behalf of Harrison & Medlin, P.C. on Thursday, October 24, 2019.

Like most Georgia parents, you want what is best for your children. As a result, you may have gone back and forth between whether ending your marriage was the right decision and whether it would have negative impacts on the kids. While the transition to post-divorce life can be challenging, you know that children are resilient and can adapt, so you chose to move forward with the divorce.

Still, you and your ex decided that a joint custody arrangement was right for your family. You both understand the importance of being in your children's lives, and neither of you wants to disrupt the possibility of the kids having both parents in their lives as much as possible. While this may have been a relatively easy matter to address, you may still wonder about child support.

Reducing car crash risks in 5 steps

On behalf of Harrison & Medlin, P.C. posted in car wrecks on Wednesday, October 16, 2019.

In 2018, there were some 40,000 car crash fatalities across the U.S. Add to that the 4.5 million who were injured in car crashes, and one has a good reason to practice safer driving. There are some safety tips that Georgia motorists can benefit from.

It all begins with vehicle maintenance. Drivers should especially keep the brakes and the engine well-maintained. There should be no electrical issues, and the airbags should be intact. Second, if drivers intend to drink at a party or other gathering, they may want someone to take them home. Drinking and driving is out of the question; it is not only illegal but deadly, killing around 10,000 people every year in this country.

What to do about the family home in a divorc

On behalf of Harrison & Medlin, P.C. posted in Divorce on Tuesday, October 8, 2019.

One decision some couples in Georgia who are getting a divorce may need to make is what to do with the family home. They may want to sell it, but if one person decides to keep it, they will need to hire one or more appraisers to determine its value. The buyer should also hire a home inspector.

If the home inspector determines that there are issues that need to be repaired, the couple must also decide how they will pay for them. For example, the buyer's share of the costs could be deducted from what the buyer pays the other spouse for the home. The house may also need to be refinanced. The buyer will need to qualify for a new mortgage. If the buyer is receiving alimony over the long term, it might be possible to include this as part of income to qualify.

Trucking industry among the worst for sleep deprivation

On behalf of Harrison & Medlin, P.C. posted in truck wrecks on Tuesday, October 1, 2019.

A new study has ranked the professions that experience the most sleep deprivation. Inadequate rest is considered to be less than seven hours of sleep per night. Commercial truckers in Georgia should know that the transport and material moving industry was ranked in the bottom four.

The study involved over 150,000 working adults in the U.S. In all, 35.6% of respondents reported poor sleep in 2018. This was an increase from the 30.9% who reported it in 2010. While 32% of truckers claimed to get inadequate sleep in 2010, that percentage went up to 41% in 2018. Also, 41% of those in the production sector said they don't get enough sleep.

What to expect after being arrested on a DUI charge

On behalf of Harrison & Medlin, P.C. on Saturday, September 28, 2019.

If police in Georgia ever arrest you for driving under the influence of alcohol, you should know what to expect. Many people do not. A DUI charge is a serious thing, and the steps taken after your arrest can greatly affect you now and in the future.

There are several things that you can expect to happen after a DUI arrest. Every case is different, and the final outcome will be unique to your situation, but the following things are pretty standard following an arrest for drunk driving.

Self-care during divorce

On behalf of Harrison & Medlin, P.C. posted in Divorce on Thursday, September 26, 2019.

When a couple in Georgia divorces, it's not unusual for both parties to experience a range of emotions. Some of these feelings may be unfamiliar and unsettling. However, the reality is that having a strong emotional reaction to the end of the marriage is normal.

In most cases, people get married with the best of intentions. They truly love their spouse and look forward to building a life together. At some point, however, the relationship breaks down. This is often a major disappointment that can leave a person emotionally exhausted and confused. Failing to acknowledge the real disappointment and stresses that come with divorce can make the work of legally, socially and emotionally separating from a spouse even more difficult.