Source: http://mtlawoffice.com/blog/category/discovery-divorce-process-2/
Timestamp: 2014-10-02 14:26:58
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Discovery | Meriwether & Tharp
Put plainly, the discovery phase of a divorce case is a process during which each party to the case can collect case relevant information and evidence from the opposing party as well as outside parties if necessary. There are several methods that a party to a divorce can used to collect evidence during the discovery phase, and these methods include, among others, the following:
According to Georgia law concerning discovery:
“Parties may obtain discovery regarding any matter, not privileged, which is relevant to the subject matter involved in the pending action, whether it relates to the claim or defense of the party seeking discovery or to the claim or defense of any other party, including the existence, description, nature, custody, condition, and location of any books, documents, or other tangible things and the identity and location of persons having knowledge of any discoverable matter. It is not ground for objection that the information sought will be inadmissible at the trial if the information sought appears reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence.”
O.C.G.A. § 9-11-26(b)(1). With the above quoted statute in mind, discovery may be very useful in your divorce matter, especially if there are issues about which your soon to be ex-spouse knows more about that you. Such issues may include information concerning family finances, a family business, or information concerning child care costs and expenses. Additionally, information concerning a spouse’s misconduct may also be uncovered via the discovery process, such as information about a spouses affair, or any attempts made by a spouse to hide assets or fraudulently convey marital funds. Taking full advantage of Georgia’s discovery procedures may not be right for every case. To determine whether any of the above listed discovery procedures may be beneficial to you, contact your Atlanta Divorce Team for a consultation.
Tags: depositions, discovery, discovery phase, discovery procedures, discovery process, divorce, divorce in Georgia, divorce process, family law, Georgia discovery, Georgia divorce, Georgia law, informal, interrogatories, request for production, request to admit, The Atlanta divorce team Posted in Discovery, Divorce | No Comments »
In Georgia, a party “may obtain discovery regarding any matter, not privileged, which is relevant to the subject matter involved in the pending action, whether it relates to the claim or defense of the party seeking discovery or to the claim or defense of any other party…” OCGA §9-11-26(b)(1). Ina family law cases, this means a party can obtain information about pretty much anything because almost every aspect of a person’s life is relevant.
A common method of obtaining discovery in a family law action is through a deposition. OCGA §9-11-30.In a deposition, one party asks oral questions to another person that must be answered under oath. Depositions may be taken of a party to the case, or of a non-party who may have information relevant to the case. The party seeking the deposition must “give reasonable notice to every other party to the action” so that all may be present at the deposition. OCGA §9-11-30(b)(1). Depositions must be recorded by stenographic means (i.e. by a court reporter), and may also be recorded by sound or sound and visual means. OCGA §9-11-30(b)(3).
In family law actions, depositions can be extremely beneficial because they allow a party to see the opposing party as they are answering questions. Facial expressions and tone of voice can be very telling, and will be particularly helpful if the deposition is videotaped and can be used as evidence during a hearing.
One downside to depositions is that they can be very costly. The person requesting the deposition must pay the costs of the court reporter and other recording means (if used). They are often lengthy and, thus, costly attorney’s fees also must be taken into consideration if a person is considering this method of discovery. In determining whether to take a deposition, a party should weigh the costs and benefits of doing so.
Another method of obtaining discovery from your spouse in a divorce action is through requests for admissions. Requests for admissions basically ask a party to admit or deny a specific statement.OCGA §9-11-36(a). Like interrogatories and document requests, these requests require a response within30 days. OCGA §9-11-36(a)(2). When used properly, requests for admission can be a very powerful discovery tool because, so long as the request is relevant, the party has to answer. For example, if you believe there is documentary evidence that your spouse is having an affair, you can ask your spouse to admit or deny that they are in a romantic relationship with a particular person. Your spouse will be forced to either admit the relationship, or deny it and risk committing perjury when the documentary evidence comes to light.
Anything admitted in response to these requests is “conclusively established” under Georgia law. OCGA§9-11-36(b). For this reason, requests for admissions combined with requests for production of documents (to your spouse or to a third party) can help you prove an affair, prove your spouse is hiding money/property or help to establish other facts that may be helpful in your divorce action.
Another method of obtaining discovery from your spouse in a divorce action is through requests for production of documents. Through a request for production of documents, a party can request that his or her spouse “produce and permit the party making the request, or someone acting on his behalf, to inspect and copy any designated documents…” that are relevant to the divorce action “and which are in he possession, custody, or control of the party upon whom the request is served.” OCGA§9-11-34(a)(1). Like interrogatories, these requests require a response within 30 days. OCGA§9-11-34(b)(2). Practically speaking, what usually happens is that a party responds to the request by making copies of the requested documents and sending them to the requesting party. In any family law action, document requests will likely ask for bank records, pay stubs, tax returns, loan applications, retirement account statements, documents supporting children’s expenses, and monthly bills.
Like interrogatories, you can ask for more specific information. For example, if you think your spouse is having an affair, you can ask for all electronic communication or telephone records for a certain time period, or for this same type of communication between your spouse and a particular person. Unlike interrogatories, requests for production of documents are not limited in quantity.
Requests for Production of Documents can also be sent to nonparties. OCGA §9-11-34(c). Thus, requests can be sent to a bank for account statements, a cell phone provider for an itemized bill showing phone numbers, or an email provider for certain electronic communication.
Fulton County also has standard requests for production of documents that must be answered in every family law case. These document requests are a good starting point for any family law case because they cover the basic information needed. In general, document requests are a great way to obtain documentary evidence to support your spouse’s answers to his/her interrogatories. Therefore, if you ask a question in your interrogatories, make sure you have a corresponding document request to show evidence.
In general, a party “may obtain discovery regarding any matter, not privileged, which is relevant to the subject matter involved in the pending action, whether it relates to the claim or defense of the party seeking discovery or to the claim or defense of any other party…” OCGA §9-11-26(b)(1). Ina divorce action, this means a party can obtain information about pretty much anything because almost every aspect of a person’s life is relevant to their divorce action.
Fulton County has standard interrogatories that must be answered in every family law case. These interrogatories are a good starting point for any family law case because they cover the basic information needed. Even if your case is not in Fulton County, you can use these interrogatories and add specific questions that apply to your particular case.
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Georgia’s Discovery Process in Divorce Cases
During a civil case, one of the party’s attorneys may suggest using one of the discovery procedures to obtain information from the opposing side. Discovery is especially useful in highly contested divorce cases because the opposing party will be required by law to disclose information to their spouse’s attorney. According to O.C.G.A. § 9-11-26(c), there are four types of discovery. Three of the discovery methods are written while the remaining one is done in person. The three written types of discovery are:
Interrogatories (see O.C.G.A. § 9-11-33): Interrogatories are questions that one spouse may ask to the other spouse requesting certain information. Most interrogatories request such things as names and addresses of certain witnesses vital to the case, employment history, and the names and addresses of anyone with whom the opposing spouse may have had sexual relations during the parties’ marriage. According to O.C.G.A. § 9-11-33(a)(1), each side is limited to only fifty interrogatories, including any subparts. Each of the parties’ attorneys can ask all fifty interrogatories at one time or he or she can split them up and ask them at different points throughout the discovery process.
Requests for Production of Documents (see O.C.G.A. § 9-11-34): Typically, when an attorney decides to send the opposing party a set of Interrogatories, he usually sends Requests for Production of Documents along with them. When an attorney would like to see a specific document, such as the spouse’s pay stub, the parties’ tax return, bank statements, or cell phone records, he or she will ask the opposing attorney to give them a copy of these documents in the Request for Production of Documents. The reason that the Requests for Production of Documents are sent in conjunction with the Interrogatories is because the attorney may ask for copies of documents that he or she previously asked about in the Interrogatories. The attorney, however, is not required to do so. Unlike Interrogatories, there is no set limit on the number of Requests for Production of Documents the attorney may ask. Requests for Admissions (see O.C.G.A. §9-11-36): Out of the four types of discovery, attorneys send Requests for Admissions the least. Requests for Admissions are basically statements that one party may ask to another party and he or she must admit or deny the statements under oath. An attorney may send Requests for Admissions to the other side if he or she wants the truth from the other side, such as if one party had sexual relations with someone other than his or her spouse during the marriage. Like Requests for Production of Documents, there is no limit on the number of Requests for Admissions that you can send to the opposing side during the discovery process.
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In Georgia, your spouse generally has thirty days to respond to your discovery requests, such as interrogatories, request to produce documents, or request to admit. There are several key exceptions to this rule including: when discovery is filed with a complaint (in which case the deadline is generally forty-five days); when the requests are served by mail you have three additional days to respond under the mail rule; and the trial court can always shortened or lengthen the amount of time to respond in its discretion. Also, in Fulton County, there is an additional exception for the mandatory interrogatories and request to produce issued by the county that generally requires compliance within thirty days.
But what happens when someone fails to respond to the discovery responses? First, by failing to respond, a party can waive certain objections to discovery request. Second, the party that is seeking the responses can seek the court’s attention to force a response.
Seeking the court’s intervention in a discovery matter can be a rather lengthy process. Uniform Superior Court Rule 6.4(b) generally requires that you first make a good faith effort to obtain the discovery responses without the court’s intervention. Usually, this attempt is made in writing to provide for assurances that the other party understands the severity of your request and to provide you with documentary evidence that the attempt was made.
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