$ 295-295 per hour
Sherry Virginia Neal
About Sherry
Biography
Sherry V. Neal is the managing member of Neal & Wright LLC. Experienced in both the private and non-profit legal sectors, Sherry spent more than two decades assisting families with adoptions. Sherry currently limits her practice to estate planning, focusing on middle income estates.
As an outgrowth of her adoption practice and because of her commitment to Georgia’s adoptive families, Sherry founded the Georgia Council of Adoption Lawyers, Inc., and was the Charter President of that organization. She is also a Fellow in the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (///A).
Sherry graduated summa cum laude from Wesleyan College, where she majored in biology, minored in philosophy, played soccer and sang in the Washboard Band. She graduated cum laude from the University of Georgia School of Law, where she was a member of the Women Law Students Association and the Georgia Law Review (and had a whole lot of fun and met her husband and law partner).
Sherry has received numerous awards for both her professional and her personal involvement. In particular, in 2017, the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys awarded her the Amy Silberberg Award in recognition of her work on issues involving the Title IV-E adoption subsidy, grandparents raising grandchildren, and children in foster care. Sherry is also proud that, in 2004, Wesleyan College named her Outstanding Young Alumna, an award given from time to time to an alumna who has provided unique service to or had a special impact on her profession, her community, or Wesleyan.
Sherry’s partner in life and work is Daniel S. Wright. They and their children make their home in the Lake Claire neighborhood of Atlanta. In addition to spending time with her daughter and son, Sherry’s personal interests include reading, yoga, walking (especially in the Olmsted Linear Parks), travel, and riding the occasional roller coaster.
Practice Areas
2
Practice Areas
Estate Planning
99%
22 years
Adoption
1%
27 years
Fees and Rates
Cost
Hourly Rates
Payment Methods
- Cash
- Check
- Credit Card
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Chat withLicenses
Licensed in Georgia for 26 years
State: Georgia
Acquired: 1999
No misconduct found
Location
Neal & Wright LLC
125 E. Trinity Place, Suite 300, Decatur, GA, 30030
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Sherry Virginia Neal's Reviews
Avvo Review Score
2 Client Reviews
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Practice Areas
Showing 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Posted by Joe | February 13, 2018 | Hired Attorney | Estate Planning
Will and Testament
Sherry Neal and her Assistant, Jodi Greenberg, made the process for a new will and testament easy and comprehensible. The answers to my questions were always prompt and very clear so I had no difficulty making decisions on what to include especially for the Advance Directive for Health Care and provi...
Posted by Erin T. | May 07, 2012 | Adoption
Pro Bono Step Parent Adoption
Sherry was the first attorney I contacted when my husband and I started looking into a step parent adoption. It is all very confusing and Sherry responded very quickly and gave me so much information and even recommended we contact the Grandparent/Relative Caregiver Project. Despite this organization...
Sherry Neal
Replied last May 08, 2012Thank you for your kind words!
Sherry Virginia Neal's Lawyer Endorsements
"Sherry is extremely intelligent and very compassionate. She works tirelessly to address the needs of her clients. I endorse her wholeheartedly and without reservation."
"Sherry Neal is highly experienced in the area of adoption law. I often call upon Sherry's advice for complex issues in adoption, especially related to Adoption Assistance."
"I endorse this lawyer. Sherry is caring, compassionate and extremely knowledgeable."
"I have known Sherry Neal for several years and have consulted with her on multiple adoption cases. She is dedicated and committed to her clients and ultimately, to the children who benefit from her work."
"I endorse this lawyer. For a number of years when I worked in DeKalb Superior Court reviewing family law/adoption/guardian ad litem issues, Sherry Neal provided conscientious and high-quality legal work."
"Sherry is a leader in her community and excellent attorney for adoption issues. She is who I call for legal questions about adoption. Sherry also works tirelessly in pro bono projects and community service."
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Experience
Honors
2010
Award of Achievement, State Bar of Georgia Young Lawyers Division
2008
Award of Achievement, State Bar of Georgia Young Lawyers Division
2005
Award of Achievement, State Bar of Georgia Young Lawyers Division
2005
Outstanding Alumna, Monroe Academy
2005
Power of One Volunteer Award, AARP Georgia
2004
Outstanding Young Alumna, Wesleyan College
Work Experience
2001 - 2005
Director, Grandparent/Relative Caregiver Project, Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc.
1999 - 2001
Associate, Kilpatrick Stockton LLP
Associations
2014 - Present
American Academy of Adoption AttorneysFellow
2010 - Present
Georgia Council of Adoption LawyersFellow
Stonewall Bar Association
2010 - 2012
Georgia Council of Adoption Lawyers, Inc.President
Sample of Legal Cases
Relative Adoption
Adoption granted
Same-Sex Parents Adoption
Adoption granted
Domestication of Foreign-Granted Adoption ("Re-adoption")
Adoption granted
Stepparent Adoption
Adoption granted
Education
1999
University of Georgia
J.D.
1996
Wesleyan College
B.A.
Speaking Engagements
2016
Pursuing Higher Learning in the Majestic Rocky Mountains
Understanding Subsidy and SSI
2016
Doing Well and Being Well in the Law CLE
Doing Well and Being Well While Balancing It All: Managing Work and Personal Commitments
2015
ICLE Webinar
If Only the Day Had 36 Hours: Balancing Work and Personal Commitments Without Committing Malpractice
2014
How'd You Do That? CLE
How’d You Work Full Time and Raise Kids?
2014
DeKalb County National Adoption Celebration
Keynote Speaker
2014
Adoption CLE
Adoption Assistance
2013
Show Me the Money!
Adoption Benefits and Other Resources for Adopted Children
2013
Adoption Law CLE
Understanding Different Adoption Options, Overcoming Obstacles to Interstate Adoptions, and Following Ethical Guidelines in Adoption Law
2012
Staying Connected: A Professional Development Seminar
Connecting with Your Inner Business Owner: A Crash Course in Running Your Own Practice
2012
Adoption Law CLE
Requirement of a Preplacement Home Study in Third-Party Adoptions
2011
CLE Seminar
Adoption Law Start to Finish
2011
Adoption Law CLE
Adoption Assistance Benefits
2010
Adoption Law CLE
Adoption Assistance Benefits
2009
Annual Meeting of the State Bar of Georgia
Hanging Out a Shingle – Practical And Professionalism Tips for the New Lawyer on How to Get Started and Successfully Keep Going
2008
Adoption Law CLE
The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoption Act, Its Impact of the Act on Adoptions in Georgia, and Adoption Assistance Benefits in Georgia
2007
Mid-Year Meeting of the State Bar of Georgia: Hanging Out a Shingle
How to Enhance Your Solo Practice Through Pro Bono Work and Community Service; and Crunching the Numbers: How to Identify (and Pay!) Start-Up Costs
2007
Getting Off on the Right Foot – Practice Management for Starting and Growing a Law Practice
Hanging Out A Shingle: Practical Tips On How To Get Started and Successfully Keep Going
2005
North American Council on Adoptable Children 31st Annual Conference
It’s All Relative: Adoption and Other Services to Help Children Raised by Relatives
2005
National Center on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Symposium
Does Legal Status Matter? Guardianship, Custody & Adoption
2005
National Center on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Symposium
Financial Assistance for Grandparents: TANF, Social Security, Medicaid, Housing, & Adoption Assistance Benefits
2005
National Association of Social Workers Annual Conference
Legal Options and Public Benefits for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
2005
Adoption Law CLE
Adoption Assistance Benefits
2004
Child Welfare League of America National Adoption Law Training Conference
Relatively Speaking: Addressing the Unique Needs of Kinship Caregivers through Adoption and Support Services
2003
Metro Juvenile Law Seminar
Representing the Relative Caregiver in a Deprivation Action: Basic Information You Need to Know
2003
Adoption Law CLE
Adoption Assistance Benefits
2003
AARP National Aging & Law Conference
Legal Services to Address the Growing Needs of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
2002
Unsealing Records CLE
Obtaining Adoption Records and Original Birth Certificates Post-Adoption
2002
Adoption Law CLE
Adoption Assistance Appeals
2001
Adoption Law CLE
Adoption Assistance Benefits
Publications
2014
Kids Matter: Child Protection and Advocacy Law Section
A Potential Client Contacted Me About an Adoption… Now What?
2006
Georgia Bar Journal
Getting to Give: Strategies to Maximize Your Impact in the Community
2004
American Bar Association, Section of Litigation, Children’s Rights Litigation Committee Newsletter
To Grandmother’s House We Go: Children in Kinship Care
Languages
English
Activity
Legal Answers
Legal Guides
Legal Answers
Q&A
What is the process for step-parent adoption? My son is now 7 years old and his sperm donor is not involved in any way.
31 Jan 2019
Q&A
Ccheapest way to do no contested independent adoption?
29 Nov 2018
Q&A
Can adult adoptions be undone in Georgia? If so, how?
25 Nov 2018