Quick answer: Scot Sikes is a Columbus, Georgia family law and military divorce attorney and a retired Army JAG lieutenant colonel. The Law Offices of Scot Sikes handles divorce, child custody, child support, alimony and Fort Benning military divorces in the Superior Courts of the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit, applying Georgia’s domestic relations code (O.C.G.A. Title 19) and federal military rules such as the USFSPA (10 U.S.C. § 1408). Call 706-494-6900.
Divorce, a custody fight, or a criminal charge rarely arrives at a convenient moment. When it does, you want a family law attorney in Columbus, GA who has spent a career making hard calls under pressure. Scot Sikes served more than 30 years in the U.S. Army — over 17 years as a JAG officer, prosecutor, and Senior Defense Counsel — before founding his Columbus practice in 2006, minutes from the gates of Fort Benning.
Call 706-494-6900 to schedule a consultation (all consultations are $200). We serve families and service members throughout Columbus, Muscogee County, and the surrounding Chattahoochee Valley.
Family Law Help from a Columbus, GA Attorney Who Listens First
Most people walk into our office anxious, angry, or simply exhausted. Our first job is not to file paperwork — it is to listen, lay out your options in plain English, and explain what each one is likely to cost you in time, money, and stress. Only then do we build a strategy.
The family law practice at the Law Offices of Scot Sikes covers the full range of domestic matters in Georgia:
- Contested and uncontested divorce, including high-conflict and high-asset cases
- Child custody, visitation, and parenting plans
- Child support orders, modifications, and enforcement
- Alimony and division of marital property under Georgia’s equitable distribution rules
- Adoptions, paternity, premarital agreements, and post-divorce modifications
Because Georgia courts decide custody on the best interests of the child — not on whether you are the mother or the father — preparation and credibility matter enormously. We know the local judges, the local courtrooms, and how family cases actually move through the Superior Courts in this circuit.
Military Divorce Lawyer Serving Fort Benning
A military divorce is not just a civilian divorce in uniform. Deployments, PCS moves, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, military retired pay, and housing allowances all change the analysis — and a lawyer who has never worn the uniform can miss issues that follow you for decades.
Scot Sikes commanded a Military Police company, deployed to Iraq and Kuwait as an Army lawyer, and defended soldiers on installations around the world. If you are stationed at Fort Benning (formerly Fort Moore) and facing divorce, custody, or support issues, our military divorce practice was built for exactly your situation — whether you are the service member or the military spouse.
Criminal Defense Rooted in Real Trial Experience
Family crises and criminal allegations often travel together — a domestic dispute becomes an arrest, or a DUI threatens a career and a custody case at the same time. Scot Sikes has prosecuted and defended cases for the Army and has handled charges from DUI to serious felonies in Georgia courts. Several of his cases drew coverage from CNN, Fox News, The New York Times, ABC, NBC, and CBS. If you or a family member has been charged, our criminal defense practice can step in immediately.
Why Clients Choose the Law Offices of Scot Sikes
- Battle-tested judgment. Over 30 years of Army service, including courtroom work as both prosecutor and Senior Defense Counsel.
- Local knowledge. A Columbus firm since 2006, with deep familiarity with area courts and judges.
- Military fluency. We speak the language of Fort Benning — LES statements, SCRA protections, deployment schedules, retired pay.
- Straight answers. You get realistic expectations, not sales talk, and you stay informed at every stage.
- One advocate, start to finish. Your case is not handed down the hall; Scot Sikes stays personally involved.
About Scot Sikes
Scot Sikes is a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel (JAG) and a recognized Georgia trial lawyer. He has been licensed to practice law in Georgia since November 1999.
Over more than 30 years of military service across all three Army components (Army National Guard, Active Duty, and U.S. Army Reserve), Mr. Sikes served as an enlisted National Guardsman and as a commissioned officer on active duty in the Military Police Corps as a Platoon Leader, S-1/Adjutant, and Company Commander. He later served as a Judge Advocate in roles including Tort Claims Attorney, Administrative Law attorney, Trial Counsel, Trial Defense Counsel, Senior Defense Counsel, and Legal Team Leader.
Mr. Sikes founded the Law Offices of Scot Sikes, LLC in September 2006 and has continued to zealously represent Service Members, families, and civilians in family law, military justice, and personal injury matters ever since. He has been qualified as an expert witness on military property division issues in divorce cases and has been selected to teach undergraduate Criminal Law as Adjunct Faculty at Columbus State University beginning Fall 2026. Read the full firm profile for his complete background.
Serving Columbus and the Chattahoochee Valley
From our office at 5 Bradley Park Court in Columbus, we represent clients in Muscogee County, Harris County, Chattahoochee County, and Marion County, as well as service members and families at Fort Benning and neighbors across the river in Phenix City. Call 706-494-6900 to schedule a consultation (all consultations are $200).
Related Columbus Family Law Guides
- AR 608-99: the support a soldier owes before a court order
- Divorce while deployed or stationed overseas
- Relocation, PCS orders and custody
- Family law in Harris, Chattahoochee, Talbot, Marion and Taylor counties
- Georgia’s 2026 child support changes
Frequently Asked Questions
How fast can I get divorced in Georgia?
If you and your spouse agree on everything, an uncontested divorce can be granted in as little as 31 days after filing and service. Contested cases take longer — often several months, sometimes more — depending on what is in dispute.
Do I need grounds for a Georgia divorce?
Georgia recognizes 13 grounds for divorce, but most cases proceed on the no-fault ground that the marriage is irretrievably broken. No one has to prove wrongdoing, which usually makes the case faster and less expensive.
Can my spouse and I share one attorney?
No. One lawyer cannot ethically represent both sides of a divorce. Even in friendly cases, each spouse needs independent advice before signing a settlement agreement.
Does deployment affect my custody or divorce case?
It can. Federal law gives deployed service members certain protections against default judgments, and Georgia courts can structure parenting plans around military duty. Raise your status with your attorney at the very first meeting.
Where are divorce and custody cases filed in Columbus, GA?
In Superior Court, usually in the county where the other spouse lives. For most Columbus families that is the Superior Court of Muscogee County at the Government Center, 100 10th Street. Muscogee is one of six counties in the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit, along with Chattahoochee, Harris, Marion, Talbot and Taylor.
Can I file for divorce in Georgia if I’m stationed at Fort Benning?
Yes, if you or your spouse has lived in Georgia for at least six months, or if you have lived on the post for one year before filing, in which case you may file in a county adjacent to the post (O.C.G.A. § 19-5-2). See our Fort Benning military divorce page.
Is there a family law FAQ for Columbus and Fort Benning?
Yes. Our Columbus, GA and Fort Benning family law FAQ answers the questions local families ask most about divorce, custody, child support, alimony and military divorce, with the Georgia statute behind each answer.
Ready to Talk? Put Battle-Tested Counsel on Your Side
Call 706-494-6900 to schedule a consultation (all consultations are $200). Located at 5 Bradley Park Court, Suite 101, Columbus, GA 31904 — minutes from the Muscogee County courthouse and the gates of Fort Benning.
About the author. Scot Sikes founded the Law Offices of Scot Sikes in Columbus, Georgia, in 2006. He earned his J.D. at Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law, was admitted to the State Bar of Georgia in 1999, and served as an Army judge advocate (trial counsel, Senior Defense Counsel and Deputy Staff Judge Advocate) before retiring from the U.S. Army Reserve as a lieutenant colonel in 2017. His practice centers on family law, military divorce and military family law in the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit, and courts have qualified him as an expert witness on dividing military property in divorce. Read Scot Sikes’s full profile. Law Offices of Scot Sikes, 5 Bradley Park Court, Suite 101, Columbus, GA 31904 · 706-494-6900.
Last updated November 2026. Sources: O.C.G.A. § 19-5-2 (residency and venue); O.C.G.A. § 19-5-3 (grounds; 30-day rule); Superior Court, Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit; 10 U.S.C. § 1408 (Uniformed Services Former Spouses’ Protection Act); U.S. Army: Fort Moore redesignated Fort Benning (March 2025). This page is general information about Georgia law, not legal advice for your situation.