Scene at the March FLS Breakfast The Family Law Section Breakfast is held on the first Thursday of each month, 7:30-9 am at the historic Old Courthouse on the Square in downtown Decatur, 101 E. Court Square. Join us for for…

Attorney Tina Shadix Roddenbery of the firm Holland Roddenbery LLC, spoke at the breakfast meeting of the DeKalb Bar Association Family Law Section on March 2. She talked about how attorney fees are awarded only by statute and described how each statute requires different elements to secure an award. For instance, OCGA § 19-6-2 gives courts the discretion to award attorney fees in cases of divorce, alimony, and contempt arising out of divorce or alimony, but only after consideration of the parties’ financial circumstances. Compare OCGA § 19-9-3(g), which gives courts the authority to award attorney fees in custody modification actions without any consideration of the parties’ financial circumstances.