The University of Georgia is far and away the largest employer in the Athens area. Being a major research university, the school employs many professors and other faculty.
It also takes executives, administrators and other professional support staff to run the college well and keep it on track to accomplish its mission.
Like the rest of the population, professionals who work for the university may wind up in the middle of a divorce or other family law proceeding.
To some extent, these divorces work the same way as other divorces. However, professors, college executives and others have divorce-related issues to which they will want to pay careful attention.
Property division and alimony can be complicated, contentious issues
Many established professors and college professionals at the university are highly compensated. In addition to their base salary, they will receive a government retirement pension and may receive other income as well.
Professors in particular may be entitled to royalties, speaking honoraria and other income flowing from their work.
Likewise, other executives and high-profile employees may receive bonuses and other job benefits.
Professors, in particular, may have a range of assets that will be subject to division in a divorce. For example, many have intellectual property rights in a book or other work product.
Couples who have lots of income and property between them also have a lot more about which to argue during a divorce. The value and type of property college professionals own can also make questions about alimony and property division harder to resolve.
Sometimes, the nature of working for a college raises custody questions
People who work for colleges also may have to work nonconventional hours as part of their job duties.
Someone who coaches a sport, for example, would have to travel frequently during their team’s season.
On a related note, often, college professionals have to be open to moving in order to advance their careers.
These factors can come into play if a professional has minor children at the time of their divorce. It would be important for a college professional with children to have a good grasp of their legal rights and options with respect to custody and parenting time.
