Mary A. Montgomery

Recipient of Georgia Trend's 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010 Legal Elite Award Founder Mary Stearns-Montgomery has been a practicing family law as a divorce attorney for more than twenty years. After starting her career at a general practice law firm, Mary decided to pursue her entrepreneurial dream of building her own practice. Her initial success compelled her to expanded her Georgia law practice into a team of talented divorce attorneys, family law attorneys, and child support attorneys - all of whom demonstrate incredible success in Georgia divorce and family practice cases. Mary manages a capable team of Atlanta lawyers, and, although her team is larger than ever, she still remains involved in every single family law case her practice sees. In a managerial capacity, Mary's oversight provides clients with creative solutions and unprecedented attorney access. Clients find her to be assertive and determined as she vigorously fights for their rights and goals in the court room, but she remains compassionate and practical in dealing directly with clients. In fact, many of Mary's referrals are from "the other side of the table," where those individuals have developed a respect for Mary's tenacity and integrity. Mary enjoys mentoring other family law and divorce attorneys, both within her firm and in both the Atlanta and Marietta communities. She is actively involved in the community as a volunteer for organizations like 100 Women Against Domestic Violence, the Cobb Justice Foundation, and the American Cancer Society. Mary is one of the Chairpersons for the ACS Silent Auction Committee- an organization that raises thousands of dollars each year by auctioning off everything from Michael Vick helmets to East Hampton vacation homes. When not fighting for clients or causes, Mary fights for the lead in her favorite sport: motocross. Certification / Specialties: Collaborative Law; International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, 2005 Representative Cases: Hayes v. Hayes, 199 Ga. App.132 (1991) Swanson v. Swanson, 276 Ga. 566, 580 S.E.2d 526 (2003) DeRyke v. Teets, 288 GA. 160 (2010) Lightfoot v. Hollins, 308 GA. App. 538 (2011) Classes / Seminars Taught: The Battles of House Bill 221; Cobb County Bar Association, December 9, 2005 Advanced Depositions; Lorman Education Services, September 8, 2006 Child Support Guidelines Training, Putting it into Practice; Cobb County Bar Association, December 8, 2006 Getting Off on the Right Foot-Practice Management for Starting and Growing a Law Practice; Cobb County Bar Association Younger Lawyers Division, February 16, 2007 Georgia's New Child Custody Law HB369: Parenting Plans Skills Training; 2007 Motion to Compel Discovery Worksheet, 2011 Georgia's Child Support Review and Application, 2011 Georgia's Uncontested Divorce, 2011 Honors and Awards: Georgia Trend's Legal Elite, 2005, 2007, 2009 Family Law President of the Cobb County Bar Association, 2005-2006 Cobb Justice Foundation; Chairperson, 2006-Present Professional Associations and Memberships: Atlanta Bar Association, Family Law Section Cobb County Bar Association State Bar of Georgia Georgia Association of Women Lawyers Cobb County Chamber of Commerce, Member Association of Family Court and Community Professions (AFCC), Member Forms Subcommittee of the Georgia Child Support Guidelines Commission, 2005-2006 Training Task Force of the Georgia Child Support Commission; Member 2006-2007 Supreme Court of Georgia: Mentor in the Transition Into Law Practice Program; 2012-2013 Pro Bono Activities: Pro Bono Project of the State Bar of Georgia, 2004 Pro Se Clinic, Cobb Legal Aid Volunteer 100 Plus Women Against Domestic Violence Fundraiser January 2010