I am an adoption attorney and a Rule 31 family mediator, but most importantly, I am an advocate for children. I am one of the few attorneys in the State of Tennessee that has been certified as a child welfare law specialist by the National Association of Counsel for Children based upon my years of work experience and education. I have dedicated my career to the protection, health, and welfare of children. I am a graduate of the Nashville School of Law and obtained law license in 2000, though I was employed in the juvenile court system in the preceding years working daily with families to address the needs of the children appearing before the court. In my first two years as an attorney, I was employed as Assistant General Counsel for the Tennessee Department Children's Services (DCS) in Davidson County, where I handled hundreds of cases of dependency/neglect, abuse, severe abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse of children, along with termination of parental rights. I have worked with the courts, the state, and families in advocating for resolutions that will protect the health, safety, and welfare of children. In 2003, I decided to open my private practice dedicated to child advocacy. I wanted to have a more personal impact upon the lives of family and children. I accepted court appointed cases for dependency/neglect and abuse, serving mainly as the Guardian ad Litem for children for many years. I have handled countless cases involving custody, parentage, child support, termination of parental rights, and adoption. I have also been appointed by the Court in divorce and post divorce litigation as the Guardian ad Litem which often allowed me to facilitate agreements between the parties for the best interests of the child. I have practiced in multiple counties in Tennessee and am now handling contested adoptions, ICPC adoptions, birth parent surrenders, family mediations, & dependency/neglect cases.
Practice areas
Contested & uncontested adoptions, birth parent surrenders, stepparent/relative adoptions, ICPC adoptions, & foreign adoptions
Parenting plans and custody cases for parents, non-parents, grandparents and other relatives
Setting or modifying child support
Dependency/neglect & abuse cases
Family law mediations
Languages spoken
English
State | Status | Acquired | Updated |
---|---|---|---|
TN | Active | 2000 | 06/29/2022 |
Legal answers | 91 |
Legal guides | 0 |
Title | Company name | Duration |
---|---|---|
Assistant General Counsel | State of Tennessee, Department of Children's Services | 2001 - 2003 |
Association name | Position name | Duration |
---|---|---|
Tennessee Bar Association | Member | 2017 - Present |
National Association of Counsel for Children | Member | 2008 - Present |
Robertson County Bar Association | Member | 2000 - Present |
School name | Degree | Graduated |
---|---|---|
Nashville School of Law | JD - Juris Doctor | 2000 |
Austin Peay State University | BS - Bachelor of Science | 1996 |
Volunteer State Community College | Associate of Science | 1994 |
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