$ 350-350 per hour
Margaret Held
also known as Margaret B. Held
About Margaret
Biography
Margaret Held has known she wanted to be a lawyer since she was 8 years old, hearing the stories of her grandfather’s practice in Knoxville. "When you decide to become a lawyer when you are a kid, it’s because you want to stick up for the little guy and take down the bully."
As a new attorney, that attitude landed Ms. Held a prestigious Equal Justice Fellowship, awarded by the National Association for Public Interest Law to honor lawyers who make unique contributions in public law. The Fellowship allowed Ms. Held to represent entrepreneurs and non-profit organizations to create and retain jobs in poor neighborhoods. "These folks could not afford corporate counsel," says Ms. Held. "It was great to be a new attorney, working up the legal documents to start a bank, suing the government over its use of economic incentives, and representing welfare moms to start businesses ranging from child-cares to ice cream parlors."
After the fellowship ended, Ms. Held continued her mission by founding Held Law Firm. "The Firm exists to support lawyers who have enough little kid in them to love the fight - who wake up each morning excited to take on the big boys, and who haven’t become cynical about ideals like justice and fair play."
Ms. Held represented India Tracy in her lawsuit against the Union County school system for religious discrimination. She represented Citizens for Police Review in its battle for increased accountability within KPD. She helped the Tennessee Industrial Renewal Network to fight for a living wage for Knoxville workers. She obtained a record-breaking settlement for a Department of Energy whistleblower who reported safety violations in Oak Ridge. She represented KnoxRecall in its drive for increased accountability from Knoxville city lawmakers, and Knox County over abuses within the juvenile detention facility. "I suppose that these sorts of lawsuits haven’t made me many friends in certain circles," laughs Ms. Held. "But they weren’t who I went to law school for anyway."
"But seriously," she continues, "As fun as those cases are, the issues that matter most to real people are much more personal. Law, for regular people, is about your kids, your job, your business, your neighborhood. That’s why we specialize in family law, employment law, and non-profit law." "My best hope is that we will take the mystery out of the legal process for my clients - that they will know how the legal system works, feel like they got sound advice and a good outcome, and know that, win or lose, we fought the good fight for them. Big cases are great, but there’s nothing more satisfying for me than to represent an honest, hard-working person well."
Practice Areas
2
Practice Areas
Divorce and Separation
67%
31 years
Child Custody
33%
4 years
Fees and Rates
Cost
Hourly Rates
Retainer
Sometimes
Payment Methods
- Cash
- Check
- Credit Card
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Chat withLicenses
Licensed in Tennessee for 30 years
State: Tennessee
Acquired: 1996
Lawyer disciplined by state licensing authority in 2020
Location
Held Law Firm
1522 Highland Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37916
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Margaret Held's Reviews
Showing 1 - 5 of 38 client reviews from Avvo
Posted by Sarah | May 5, 2025 | Hired Attorney
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
Held Law Firm never quit and won big!
Margaret Held and Chelsea Price went to war against my diagnosed Narcissist ex. He was well connected and I'm not so things looked grim when I retained them. Held Law remained unflappable in the most chaotic, crazy pants divorce I have ever heard of and they won everything for me. Full custody, the ...
Posted by Mustapha | August 5, 2022 | Hired Attorney
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
Post Divorce Custody Case
Ms. Held is one of those individuals that give her profession a bad name. I hired Ms. Held for a post-divorce custody case in 2014. Unfortunately, Ms. Held was more interested in the retainer fee than the case itself. She impressed me with the initial consult; once paid, she was MIA; her bills never ...
Posted by Janie | March 28, 2022 | Hired Attorney
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
On my way to a resolution.
I am extremely impressed with Margaret’s professionalism while being approachable. She listened, she took action and we are on our way to a resolution! Her staff is very helpful as well.
Posted by Debra | January 16, 2020 | Hired Attorney
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
Held Law Firm - The Winning Team
I hired Margaret Held to secure visitation with my grandchild because visitation was being denied. My specific circumstances were "unique" and somewhat difficult. However, she fought for me and I received everything I was asking for. Without Margaret Held I would not be able to spend time with my...
Posted by Susan | June 27, 2018 | Hired Attorney
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
Client
I contacted Attorney Held in September of 2016, my new Husband & I met for a consultation, was impressed by what she had to say & what she said she could do for us. Now almost 2 years later we are still where we started, but 20.000.00 poorer Big promises no results in my divorce case !
Margaret Held
Replied last September 10, 2018I regret that I do not recognize the facts you have recited here (i.e. a case we took in September, 2016, worked for two years, etc.) so it's difficult to formulate a response. I will say that our first priority, when we consider taking a case, is to make sure that we can meet the expectation our client - of us, and of the process - and to reject a case when we don't feel our client's expectations are something we can meet. I am bothered that you apparently did not have that experience here. I hope you have been able to find counsel to meet your expectations and we wish you well!
Margaret Held's Lawyer Endorsements
"Margaret has been a great mentor since I joined Held Law Firm. She cares about everything from her clients to her employees to the way the business operates, and takes great care to make sure she is advocating for those around her. She is a great advocate and has a knowledge of the rules that I can only hope to come close to one day."
"Margaret is an excellent attorney with a strong working knowledge of family law. I would highly recommend her to any prospective client needing competent guidance through the complex legal system."
"I absolutely endorse Margaret. I worked with Margaret on an out-of-state divorce, which makes any divorce very difficult no matter the issues. Margaret was very professional and goal oriented, but fully advocated for her client at the same time. Any person seeking a divorce would greatly benefit having Margaret on their side."
"Margaret is a joy to work with. She fights zealously for her clients, but is practical and solution-oriented. This combination means that her clients are getting the best representation possible. I highly recommend her."
"Ms. Held is very knowledgeable about all aspects of the law and works hard to get positive results for her clients. She is a very innovative thinker when it comes to resolving issues. I would readily endorse Ms. Held."
"I recommend Margaret Held and her firm for providing great domestic relations representation. Margaret is a tireless advocate and a creative strategist. She cares about her clients and has high ethical standards. I highly recommend her."
"Margaret knows the law and works diligently on every case. I endorse this lawyer."
"I accepted a position with Held Law Firm because of the firm's reputation for zealous advocacy. Margaret has built both a strong personal practice as well as a successful firm though hard work and diligence. Her energy level is unbelievable. I'm glad to be associated with such a reputable firm."
"I recently worked with Margaret on a child custody case. In addition to having a strong knowledge of custody law in Tennessee, Margaret was a tenacious advocate for her client. However, Margaret also spent untold hours working with my office to find a workable solution for the Parties' case. I would highly recommend Margaret as an attorney or mediator for any divorce/custody case."
"Margaret is an awesome colleague. She brings intelligence and insight to the table with a perspective that is unique in our field. It is rare to find a true advocate in a profession that can often get lost in the day to day legal business."
"I endorse this lawyer."
"I endorse this lawyer."
"I endorse this lawyer. She is always passionate behind her causes. Even as an adversary, I respect and enjoy working with the tough attorney."
"I endorse this lawyer."
"Margaret is passionate about her clients. She is very thorough and works very hard to protect her clients' interests."
"I endorse this lawyer."
"I fully endorse Margaret Held. She dots every i and crosses every t. She will ethically fight for her clients by building her client's case as thoroughly as possible. More importantly, in custody cases, she will consider the children she is fighting for and will not take positions on behalf of a client that would be harmful to a child."
"I endorse this lawyer. The first time I met attorney Margaret Held, I was a recently-licensed attorney watching juvenile court proceedings and happened to observe a portion of one of her cases. Ms. Held's litigation skills were among the strongest I have ever seen. Her cross-examination was polished, organized, and effective. Ms. Held and her firm are well-respected in the Knoxville legal community, and deservedly so. She is an excellent advocate in family law and custody matters!"
"I endorse this lawyer. Margaret is always quick to respond and will always ensure the best result possible for her clients. Margaret is able to be easy to work with while at the same time aggressively advocating her her client's rights."
"Margaret loves what she does and is really good at it to boot. I've learned more form her than could fit in an endorsement box, but suffice it to say she's as good as they come.If someone is looking for ethics, skill, and honesty they don't need to look any farther."
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Experience
Professional misconduct
This lawyer was disciplined by a state licensing authority in 2020.
Censured issued in TN, 2020
updated on 09/24/2020When an attorney is censured it means he or she did something wrong but may still practice law. Typically in this case the lawyer's poor behavior is exposed to the public in hopes that he or she will not repeat the behavior.
Honors
2018
Patriotic Employer, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve
2014
Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
2013
Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
2012
Peer rated "excellent" for ethics and professionalism, Martindale-Hubbell
1999
"Legal Eagle Award", Tennessee Industrial Renewal Network
1998
Annie Selwyn Award, Knoxville Women's Center
1996
Equal Justice Award, National Association for Public Interest Law
1995
Dean's list, University of Tennessee college of law
1991
Public interest fellow, Tennessee bar foundation fellow
Work Experience
1998 - Present
Managing Partner, Held Law Firm
1992 - 1998
Attorney, Knoxville Legal Aid Society
1989 - 1990
Law clerk, Gilreath and Associates
1988 - 1990
Law clerk, Mildred Cunningham, esq.
1988 - 1989
Legal secretary, Rainwater, Humble and Vowell
1986 - 1987
Legal secretary, Poore, Cox, Baker, Ray and Byrne
1985 - 1986
File Clerk, Hunter, Smith and Davis
Associations
1998 - Present
Knoxville Bar AssociationMember
2001 - 2004
National Employment Lawyers Association (Illinois chapter)Affiliate Member
1995 - 1997
National association for public interest lawFellow
Sample of Legal Cases
Holley v. Holley
Won
Pruitt vs. city of Clinton
Settled for full relief.
Tracey v. Union county schools
Settled for all requested relief
Knox recall vs. Ashe
Petition upheld
Westbrook v. UT Battelles
Won. Then settled for all relief requested.
Hinds v. Titan wheel international
Won. Jury verdict upheld on appeal to sixth circuit
Gamaleldin v. Kcdc
Settled for all requested rekief
Education
1995
University of Tennessee College of Law
JD - Juris Doctor
1990
University of Tennessee, KnoxvilTennessee
BA - Bachelor of Arts
N/A
Furman University
Speaking Engagements
2012
Family rights for same sex couples
Family rights for same sex couples
2012
Continuing Legal Education Seminar
Family Law Rights for Gay and
2011
interview with local media
Facebook and Divorce,
2010
Ut college of law orientation
Careers in law
2003
(private speech)
First Amendment and Public Education
1998
private speech
Hate Crimes and Police Brutality Claims
1997
stand-alone speech
Government Accountability for Economic Development Incentives
1996
private speech
The Use of Public Benefits to Spur Economic Growth in Low Income
Publications
2018
Co-Authored with Mark Imperial & Leading Divorce Professionals
Stress-Free Divorce Volume 04: Conversations With Leading Divorce Professionals
1997
Harvard Civil Rights Civil Liberties Law Review
Creating Jobs in Low Income Neighborhoods
Activity
Legal Answers
Legal Guides
Legal Answers
Q&A
Does my sons father have the right to sign him up for a school in his school zone without my consent?
07 Aug 2018
Q&A
In Tennessee can I get full custody of my daughter I'm 16.
07 Jun 2013
Q&A
Why does TN divorce law favor the wife even if she is the cheater?
12 Jun 2013
Legal Guides
Legal Guide
An Important Reminder to Divorcing Couples
05 Apr 2013
Legal Guide
Estimating the Cost of Litigation
05 Apr 2013
Legal Guide
Estimaiting the Cost of Litigation
05 Apr 2013