I have been immersed in the blessing of adoption for most of my life. Adoption has added diversity and joy to our family, and I hope it can do the same for yours.
Scope of services: Since 1996, I have completed over 4,000 adoption cases. These include domestic, international, interstate, and instate proceedings. I have handled independent placements, agency placements, relative adoptions, stepparent adoptions, same sex adoptions and adult adoptions. I have represented agencies, birth parents, adoptive parents, and also served as the guardian ad litem (attorney for the child) at the court’s request.
Other Services: In addition to adoption services, I also assist clients with wills, estate, and elder planning. We can help new parents plan and secure their children’s future, and also help older parents and grandparents make the best plan to preserve and transfer assets.
Experienced in Contested Adoptions: Most of my cases are happily uneventful in the legal sense. A significant number have been hard-fought and won in the trial court and through the Georgia appellate courts. Many attorneys refer their challenging cases to me. I assess and handle each case as if it can and will be contested.
When and Who to Call: I believe the best way to avoid an adoption disruption is to retain an experienced adoption attorney who has successfully litigated cases and recognizes pitfalls and addresses them early in the process. The sooner that you consult a knowledgeable, vetted attorney, the less likely you are to make costly and heart wrenching mistakes along the way.
Qualifications: My education includes a Bachelor of Arts degree (Magna Cum Laude) from the University of Georgia (1982) and a J.D. (Cum Laude) from Georgia State College of Law (1996). I have served as a faculty member of the “Adoption Law and Practice” seminars sponsored by the Georgia Institute of Continuing Legal Education, speaking to other attorneys on a variety of topics, including the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC), the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), the Service member’s Civil Relief Act (SCRA), and Georgia adoption law as it relates to terminating birth parent rights and adoption litigation.
• Adoptive Mother
• 21 years experience in adoption Law
• Experienced in contested adoptions and correcting mishandled adoptions
• Founding Fellow, Georgia Council of Adoption Lawyers (GCAL)
• Co Founder Swift School for children with learning disability
• Statewide Georgia Adoption Attorney
• Fellow, American Academy of Adoption Attorneys (AAAA)
• Wills and Estate planning for adoptive families
