Case Results
Attorney Douglas Fox invites you to browse some of his recent case results to learn more about past successes and how his firm has helped people in situations similar to yours.
Client Retains Business Enterprise After Divorce
Family law
Settled divorce case for marriage lasting more than 30 years, with client-husband retaining his business enterprise and settling issues of sale of the marital residence, support, life insurance and medical coverage – all to husband’s complete satisfaction.
Father Prevented from Gaining Parental Rights
Family law
Prevailed in trial involving client-mother’s efforts to prevent suddenly-on-the-scene biological father from gaining parental rights to child in a legitimation case. Able to present evidence gathered during deposition of father and in investigation of father’s criminal history and social associations to show father had inexcusably abandoned his opportunity to establish a bond with his son over the past 10 years.
Client Secures 50/50 Custody Arrangement
Family law
Mr. Fox was able to overcome roadblocks that the mother put in place to needlessly prevent his client, the father, from having adequate time with his son; Mr. Fox got a 50/50 split custody arrangement that the court agreed to approve.
Grandmother is Awarded Temporary Custody
Family law
Represented the grandmother of a child whose mother relapsed after release from rehab. When the child was found to be in a deprived state by the juvenile court, an extensive plan was set up to ensure the mother’s sobriety and the child’s safety while the child remained in mother’s care and grandmother was awarded visitation. After a second relapse and further litigation, the child was placed in the temporary custody of client-grandmother and more intensive safety plan was implemented for mother.
Successfully Defended Petition for Protective Order
Family law
Successfully defended client against wife’s petition for temporary protective order under claims that client-husband harassed and threatened her through a picture-frame-breaking tirade (alleged to be an assault) and through text messages. Evidence was developed to show wife had committed adultery and had sought contact from her husband at the same time she claimed he was harassing her.
Client Gains Custody of Three Children
Family law
Mr. Fox successfully pushed through an emergency modification of sole physical custody to transfer custody of client-father’s three children to client father, after mother had removed the children from their schools and moved into a shelter under claims of domestic violence from her new husband and refused to disclose her whereabouts and had denied father’s court-ordered visitation with children for 30 days. After proving to the court that mother’s instability and obstruction were not in children’s best interests, an Order was prepared and then signed which allowed client to retrieve the children from their new school and take custody without mother’s interference.
Client is Granted Possession of Residence
Family law
Mr. Fox’s client was living in a very uncomfortable situation in the marital residence when her controlling husband refused to leave and would continue to badger and bully and berate her in the residence. At court, Mr. Fox was able to get the husband out of the house as she was granted possession of the residence, and she got an order for the husband not to contact her.
Father is Prevented From Winning Custody
Family law
In a legitimation case filed by a father who Mr. Fox’s client believed did not really care about the child, Mr. Fox was able to achieve his client’s goal to resist the father’s efforts to win custody and his client was allowed to move out of state to be near her parents; Mr. Fox arranged an interstate visitation schedule and secured adequate support to allow the mother to start a new life in another state.
Father’s Visitation Rights Suspended
Family law
Due to client-mother’s fears of previous abuse by father on her child, court suspended all visitation between father and his children after evidentiary hearing involving testimony from child’s counselors and investigating law enforcement officers. Mother thereafter filed for termination of parental rights.
Client Receives Favorable Parenting Time
Family law
Finalized divorce providing father with well-above-average parenting time and a corresponding child support reduction as a result. This occurred after wife/mother initially withheld their toddler-daughter from father for reasons that Mr. Fox demonstrated to the court were insincere and unreasonable.
Dismissed DUI Case
Criminal defense
Mr. Fox conducted a vigorous cross-examination of two arresting police officers during a hearing on motion to dismiss a DUI case (lack of probable cause) to the point where the judge requested that the prosecutor notify the officers’ supervisor of the officers’ conflicting, unpersuasive and questionable testimony. The officer’s untruthful statements in the police report were directly exposed and contradicted in cross-examination, also leading the judge to state that the officers’ testimony was ‘probably the worst she has ever heard on the bench.’
Downgraded Charges
Criminal defense
In a felony case of terroristic threats, after investigating and pleading the client’s good character and after the interviewing of victims, Mr. Fox successfully persuaded the prosecutor to downgrade the felony charge and then transfer it to the state court for the case to be handled as a misdemeanor where the client can qualify for a diversion program with a record expungement.
Termination of Probation
Criminal defense
Mr. Fox successfully intervened in a probation case to avoid issuance of a probation warrant. After the client’s probation officer relied upon a mistaken interpretation of the sentencing order, the supervisor was contacted and the resulting review of the case ended up causing the client’s probation to be terminated.
Placed in a Diversion Program
Criminal defense
Mr. Fox succeeded in placing a client in a diversion program for possession of marijuana and possession of alcohol by a minor. Due to a citation-only charging process, the client’s record is to remain untarnished as a result of disposition.
Case Dismissed Through Diversion
Criminal defense
After a police sting, the client was arrested for solicitation of a prostitute (pandering). Although the senior prosecutor said she had never before offered entry into a diversion program to someone charged with a sex offense, Mr. Fox was able to persuade the prosecutor that the circumstances of the sting and the client’s character should justify a chance to have the case dismissed through diversion. The prosecutor ultimately agreed and theclient entered the ‘dismissal through diversion’ program.
Dropped Felony Cocaine Charges
Criminal defense
Client was charged with felony possession of cocaine and misdemeanor possession of marijuana when police officer obtained search warrant for client’s home and SWAT team forced entry into client’s home and subsequently discovered drugs. After Mr. Fox’s investigation and research yielded significant problems with the basis for the search warrant, the prosecutor dropped the felony cocaine charges and permitted client to enter conditional plea to marijuana charge that would result in the marijuana charge also being dismissed after client successfully participated in a drug treatment program.
Released From Jail at First Court Appearance
Criminal defense
Client was arrested for failure to appear in court for his arraignment and had no court date when Mr. Fox was hired. Mr. Fox was able to have the Judge place client on a court set for two business days after he was hired. Client was released from jail at first court appearance and given a sentence to pay not fine and pay $100 restitution with probation to completely terminate upon payment of said restitution.
Retained Status on Conditional Discharge
Criminal defense
Probation officer sought to revoke the full balance of client’s 11 months of probation after client tested positive for cocaine while on probation for a drug charge. With client’s commitment to get help for his drug addiction that began with painkiller prescription abuse after he had several surgeries for a set of serious injuries, the judge agreed to release client from jail after serving ten (10) days on condition that he enter a treatment facility. The judge further allowed client to retain his status on conditional discharge despite the probation violations.
Client Secured Overnight Visitation
Family law
After one parent blocked the father from overnight visitation when he filed for divorce, after a hearing and Mr. Fox’s vigorous cross examination of the wife, the judge rejected the mother’s attempts to deny all overnight visitation, and instead the judge granted Mr. Fox’s client meaningful overnight visitation. The case eventually settled with the father getting a sizable amount of overnight visitation and parenting time.
Successfully Challenged Custody Appeal
Family law
Successfully withstood appeal challenge by parent who tried to improperly file a change of custody action in the wrong county after his previous efforts in another county were rejected by the trial court who found father immature and irresponsible as a parent.
Established $1,500 Child Support Award
Family law
Established $1,500 child support award and recovered pregnancy and post-natal infant expenses for mother of child whose biological father refused to pay support. Support payments re-instituted after contempt action was filed and attorney fees paid as a result.
Parent Prevented from Relocating with Child
Family law
Prevented a parent’s abruptly announced decision to relocate with the parties’ child to another state. Parent refused to cooperate in the legal process and was ordered to pay attorney’s fees.
Successful Contempt Motion Against Mother
Family law
Succeeded in prosecution of contempt motion against mother who took child out of country to without client-father’s knowledge or consent which unjustly interfered with father’s parenting schedule and also resulted in the child missing school. It was revealed during the litigation and cross-examination that the mother encouraged child to lie to father. Mother also in contempt for her failure to communicate with father about education and health issues. Mother was ordered to pay attorney’s fees to client-father.
Biological Father is Awarded Primary Custody
Family law
Representing biological father who was suddenly cut-off from seeing his child, the firm filed an action for legitimation and custody and ultimately, after trial of the case, the father was awarded primary physical custody of the child and given all final decision-making authority on child-related issues. Evidence was developed showing mother was apathetic towards the child’s educational needs and failing grades and had rejected father’s calls for tutoring. Mother was dismissive of father’s role in child’s life. Mother was ordered to pay attorney’s fees for her refusal to comply with discovery demands as well.
Client’s Parenting Time is Increased
Family law
Prevailed in divorce trial on client-husband’s efforts to increase parenting time over time originally awarded in temporary order and succeeded on client’s claim for his wife to pay for all of her credit card charges of over $30,000 proven at trial to be the product of wife’s shopping addiction. Wife was also ordered to pay attorney’s fees to husband.
Petition for Restraining Order Dismissed
Family law
Petition for restraining order was dismissed after a hearing in case filed by wife to unjustly try to gain leverage in a custody case by falsely claiming husband was violent. Wife claimed husband was a threat to the kids in her petition, but it was proven she texted husband asking him to watch the children while she ran ‘errands,’ the errand turned out to be wife’s visit to the courthouse to get the TPO in which she claimed the children were in danger in husband’s care.
Halted Parent’s Effort to Permanently Relocate
Family law
Succeeded in persuading the court to remove case set for trial and transfer case to juvenile court to investigate new discoveries that pro se parent – who had previously refused to permit client to visit with child and was ordered to keep the child in Georgia – had moved to another state and was failing to properly supervise the child. Halted pro se parent’s efforts to permanently remove the child from the state.
Ex-Spouse Refused to Comply with Divorce Decree
Family law
Collected on award of attorney’s fees from client’s ex-spouse stemming from client’s contempt order obtained against ex-spouse for failure to pay child support and otherwise comply with key requirements of divorce decree.
Appellate Court Upholds Ruling in Client’s Favor
Family law
The Georgia Court of Appeals upheld the trial judge’s decision when he changed child custody to designate Mr. Fox’s client as the sole legal and physical custodian after a contested trial. It is a published decision by the Georgia Court of Appeals and bore the name Fifadara v. Goyal, A12A1046.
Third Party Foster Mother Wins Custody
Family law
Mr. Fox won custody for a third-party legal foster mother against three separate custody challenges from the father, the mother and the paternal grandmother, who during trial were shown to be very risky potential child custodians. The 4-year-old child is doing wonderfully now.
30% Child Support Deviation Obtained
Family law
Mr. Fox recently obtained a 30% percent child support deviation for a father against a mother who had failed to earn at her proper earning capacity.
Significant Alimony & Child Support Obtained
Family law
With aggressive use of discovery process to locate assets and income the husband was trying to hide, Mr. Fox was able to secure a significant sum of alimony and child support to allow the wife (his client) to securely transition to the next phase of her life after her husband filed for divorce in an abrupt manner.
Complex Fight Over Jurisdiction Won
Family law
Mr. Fox fought off a very complicated effort to unfairly remove a child from the state of Georgia where a manipulative parent filed a legal action in another state claiming that state had emergency powers to strip Mr. Fox’s client of parenting rights; After Mr. Fox filed emergency motions in Georgia and helped organize a conference between two judges in two different states, he was able to keep jurisdiction over the child here in Georgia and have the court here in Georgia recognize the client’s parental rights after a court hearing.