When it comes to alimony decisions in Georgia, the stakes are often incredibly high. Spouses may depend on this income for financial security after a divorce. Alternatively, a spouse might find themselves saddled with a notable financial burden after being ordered to pay alimony. But what if you had a second chance at a positive outcome? What if you could work with a divorce lawyer to appeal this decision?
What is an Alimony Appeal?
In general, an appeal is like a second chance. If you receive a negative decision in a divorce trial, you can file an appeal. This may force a higher court to re-examine the decision made by the trial judge. If the higher (appellate) court determines that the judge made some kind of error, you could pursue positive outcomes once again. The appellate court might reverse the initial decision, order a new trial, or push for some other type of outcome.
When Can I File an Alimony Appeal?
You can only file a successful alimony appeal in certain situations. First, you should know that you cannot file an appeal simply because you disagreed with the decision. You might not like how a judge ruled, but this isn’t enough to warrant a successful appeal.
Instead, you must point out some kind of major error or miscarriage of justice. In other words, the judge must make some kind of serious mistake before you can file an appeal. This could occur in many different ways.
First, you might determine that the judge failed to allow certain evidence that you tried to have admitted. This evidence could have changed the entire outcome of the case, and the judge might have excluded it unfairly. Conversely, you might argue that the judge should have excluded evidence presented by your ex.
The judge might have also misinterpreted a major law when determining your alimony. Whatever the case may be, your lawyer needs to point out these errors relatively quickly. If too much time passes after the initial decision, you lose the right to file an appeal.
Think Carefully Before Filing an Appeal
Appeals can be expensive and time-consuming. You need to carefully weigh the pros and cons before moving forward with this step. An appeal might end up being more expensive than the alimony you have been ordered to pay. Alternatively, you might need to save your money if you have lost access to alimony. A lawyer can help you with this risk assessment process.
Can a Georgia Divorce Lawyer Help With Appeals?
A Georgia divorce lawyer may be able to help you appeal a negative alimony decision. As long as there is a substantial error, you may be able to have a higher court examine the decision and overturn it. While this might be somewhat risky, it could be well worth the effort in certain situations. Consider discussing this subject further alongside Lankford & Moore Law.
