February 2015
The Family Lawyer 
Official Publication of the Atlanta Bar Association Family Law Section

Family Law Section Gives Back at Christian City Home for Children
 
Family Law attorneys from the Atlanta Bar Family Law Section, Louis Tesser, Gary Graham and Hannibal Heredia, presenting three car loads of Christmas gifts donated from attorneys and paralegals throughout the Family Law Section to the children residing at Christian City Home for Children.


'Thank you' cards from students from The Children's Village for their Christmas presents! View the individual 'thank you' cards here.


Interview with Michelle Jordan: Winner of the Atlanta Bar Association Family Law Section's Family First Award
By William Alexander, Boyd Collar Nolen & Tuggle, LLC

This author had the distinct pleasure to sit down with Michelle Jordan, Managing Attorney of the Fulton Family Law Unit of Atlanta Legal Aid, and recipient of the Family First Award, to learn more about her, her background, her practice and (selfishly) her career advice.

Michelle always knew that she had a passion for family law and helping the underserved. In law school, not only did Michelle spend some of her precious free time volunteering at the local soup kitchen, she also dedicated much of her studies to family law, taking related classes and working clinics. 

December 2014: Judge John Simpson Speaks to the Atlanta Bar Family Law Section
By Lauren J. Miller, Esq., Davis, Matthews, & Quigley, P.C.

On December 11, 2014, the Honorable John Simpson of the Superior Court of Coweta County spoke to members of the Atlanta Bar Family Law Section. Judge Simpson, who earned his undergraduate degree at West Georgia College and his law degree at Mercer University, was a member of the Georgia House of Representatives and worked as an attorney in private practice prior to being elected to the bench in 1996. Judge Simpson shared some anecdotes from his experience on the bench and offered some practical advice for family law attorneys, particularly in the courtroom setting.

Advice for Practitioners:

In the courtroom, be polite to all parties involved, including witnesses. Judge Simpson reminded attorneys that while they may feel as if they are on a different "power level" than witnesses they are questioning, they should still treat them with respect.

 


There is Always Value to Mediation, Regardless of the Outcome
By Andy Flink, Founder of Flink Consulting, LLC. 

With every domestic case that is mediated there is always room for progress, regardless of when in the timeline of the case the session occurs. Cases may not be ready to settle (lack of information, discovery is not complete), but that doesn't mean that the end result is always impasse. Perhaps this is the initial opportunity everyone has been given to talk about the subject matter of the case - putting everyone together in the same place can be a great first step.

Since most of the time I am not briefed prior to the session and may not know the dynamics and facts pertaining to the case, it would be foolish for me to place an expectation on the outcome.

 

Case Law Update
By Stephanie L. Wilson, Esq., and Corey A. Aitken, Esq., Stern & Edlin, P.C.

Wallace v. Wallace
S14F0646
November 24, 2014

Mother and Father, the parents of three (3) minor children, were divorced pursuant to a Final Judgment. Said Final Judgment indicated that Father's child support obligation of $1,300.00 per month was subject to a $400.00 deviation for Father's visitation-related travel expenses of $400.00 per month (as Father was deployed in Bahrain), resulting in a final child support amount of $900.00 per month. Mother orally requested that the court make written findings of fact and conclusions of law as it pertained to the child support award, which the court said it would do if Mother furnished a transcript of the hearing. 

 

In This Issue
2014-2015 Section Board of Directors

Newsletter Editor
Emily S. Yu

Chair
Gary P. Graham

Vice Chair/Chair-Elect
Louis J. Tesser

Secretary
Hannibal Heredia

Treasurer
Rachel Miller 

Immediate Past Chair
Eileen Thomas

Members at Large
Rebecca Crumrine Rieder
Melinda (Mindy) C. Pillow
J. Ashley Sawyer
Eileen J. Shuman
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