I’d been going through a nearly 3 year family law matter that started out with a protective order for DV, then we went into a custody battle. When I first spoke with her, it was still new and my emotions were still high, and I couldn’t contain myself. I cried a lot during these years just talking abo...ut and thinking of what happened. Attorney Melanie’s attorney hat came off and she put on her “homegirl” hat, and consoled me letting me know that she got me and things would be okay. I hate to say it but I didn’t believe her at the time because if anyone has gone through DV, it’s hard to trust and believe in anyone once you’re out of that situation. I was new to Gwinnett but I went against my judgment (glad that I did) and hired her. We started with paperwork, settlement offers, agreements, court dates that wouldn’t align, etc. You name it, she tried it! I was TERRIFIED to go to court and on top of that, who wants to willingly see an abuser again? Attorney Melanie kept telling me that I’d be alright and that I had to do it. I sucked it up for my son and said, “I got this”…but, it was a façade. I got scared even if she mentioned a court date or anything about court. I even took a guy friend with me to court in NC for the DV order for protection because I didn’t know what he would do.
Here comes December 2023, my friend and I were at a tasting and ran into what I’ll call my “confirmation”. We had been eating/drinking, and one of the vendors spoke to us. I didn’t know this lady and hadn’t seen her a day in my life. She asked me, “how’s your baby daddy “? I nonchalantly shrugged my shoulders saying fine I guess and almost walked away but, my friend was still talking. I was thinking to myself, why she asking about him and almost got upset. The lady then said, “No really, how’s your baby daddy”?. I said that I guess that he’s good. She said that she was asking because God told her to tell me that whatever I was going through with him, that I was going to get what I wanted and me and my son were going to be okay. Anywho, time continued and we couldn’t get any agreement on anything from the other attorney and I began to question if I did the right thing since it was taking so long. The case in NC had also been dismissed two days prior to me going to testify. In my eyes, that looked very bad for me but Attorney Melanie did not flinch. My new homegirl was calmed, collected, and already prepared in the background without me knowing because I was so frazzled and again, scared. God will ALWAYS outwork the devil because then my praying mom came in. She said, don’t give up and that God needed me in a space that’s right for the situation. I kept praying and one day, all that fear went away and I got my fight back. I remembered who I WAS AND STILL IS!!!! During that same time, I received an email from Attorney Melanie and her team that they were ready to set a date again. I was no longer scared when I got those emails, but felt so ready. Babyeee, God said go!!!
I got to the courthouse on Thursday and EVERYTHING from small to big fell into place. I was a little nervous but when I walked down the hall and saw my attorney looking fierce and ready, that nervous energy went away when she hugged me. It was like a transfer of energy because like she told me in the beginning, “she got me”. I was there 20 min prior to court time and she was already speaking with the opposing attorney working her magic. After 3 hours, in and out of the courtroom, she did that! She knew exactly what was right for me and my son while negotiations were happening and sometimes said no before I could because again, we were able to match energy as soon as I got there. God had prepared her for my defense that day (Let Him use you, ma’am!). She got me what I needed to help take the load off my day to day, and corrected all the things that were wrong.
THANK YOU!!!