Aaron Thomas

How Substance Abuse Impacts Divorce

Substance abuse adds another layer of complexity to the divorce process. So, what do you need to consider if you’re divorcing an addict? And what if you’re struggling with alcoholism or drug abuse yourself?

Attorney Aaron Thomas is the Founder of Aaron Thomas Law, a family law practice based in Atlanta, Georgia. Aaron began his legal career in 2002 as an in-house staff attorney for Habitat for Humanity International. He also served as a trial attorney in the Dekalb County Public Defender’s office for four years before starting his own practice and shifting his focus exclusively to family law in 2007.

On this episode of Divorce Dialogues, Aaron joins Katherine to discuss how substance abuse impacts the divorce process. He explains how drug addiction and alcoholism affect a judge’s decision-making around child custody, child support, division of assets and spousal support. Listen in to understand how Aaron handles a case differently when he represents the addicted party and learn what you should think about as the spouse of an addict considering divorce.

Topics Covered

Why substance abuse is rarely used as grounds for divorce even if that’s the issue

How alcoholism and drug addiction impact child custody

When (and why) a judge might award the addicted spouse a lesser share of the marital assets

How Aaron handles a case differently when he represents the addicted party

The trend toward seeing addiction as an illness vs. criminal activity

Why it’s exceptionally challenging to represent the spouse of an addict

The consequences of making your spouse’s addiction public in the divorce process

Why a judge might base child support on the amount the addicted party SHOULD be making

What a judge considers before awarding alimony to the addicted party

Aaron’s advice to the spouse of an addict considering divorce

Connect with Aaron Thomas

Aaron Thomas Law

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The Center for Understanding Conflict

Miller Law Group

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The New Yorker’s Guide to Collaborative Divorce by Katherine Miller

Email katherine@miller-law.com

Call (914) 738-7765

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