Georgia Lord

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Georgia Lord Chosen to Chair Training on Child Custody Litigation

Leaders of the DeKalb Bar Association’s Family Law Section recently chose Georgia Lord to Chair the section’s upcoming training on Advanced Child Custody Litigation. This training will provide instruction for metro Atlanta area family lawyers, family court Judges, and family therapists who seek to improve their ability to handle exceptionally challenging child custody disputes. Lord has served as a member of the program’s faculty for the past three years. The seminar has grown increasingly popular over these years, and in 2017 it attracted a sellout crowd.

One segment of the 2017 seminar considered how parents with substance abuse problems could safely share time with their children. Another portion of the program examined the rules governing international child custody litigation. The agenda also included a panel discussion by three local Judges: Fulton Superior Family Court Judge Christopher Brasher, DeKalb Superior Court Judge Courtney Johnson, and Cobb Superior Court Judge Robert D. Leonard.

One discussion included in the seminar focused on the best practices to follow when child sexual abuse concerns arise during custody litigation.

Attenders also received information on preventing child molestation. Further information regarding what to do (and what NOT to do) if you suspect child abuse or if a child discloses sexual abuse to you can be found in this flyer.20 – ChildAbusePrevention_Reporting_Child_Sexual_Abuse-Small-File

Georgia’s segment of the program focused on the topic of how to make more effective presentations at hearings and trials.  The time a Judge is willing to allocate for a particular hearing or trial is often very limited. Attorneys who fail to plan a presentation that can realistically fit within the time allotted may end up being able to get only a small portion of their evidence presented. It is not enough to present persuasive facts: these facts must be shown to the court in a manner that meets the technical requirements of court rules, or they are likely to be disregarded. To win, a party usually needs to introduce sufficient legally adequate proof into evidence. Georgia presented a paper which set out well-researched options for cramming more content into a hearing without leaving the Judge or jury feeling overwhelmed or rushed.

Georgia Lord Teaches Family Lawyers, Chairs Judges Panel Discussion

Photo of head table with speakers Dawn Smith, Debbie Gold, Georgia Lord, and Eileen Shuman.

Program faculty included (L to R) Dawn Smith, Debbie Gold, Georgia Lord, and Eileen Shuman.

Georgia Lord recently served as one of the faculty in a training seminar for family lawyers, family court Judges and family therapists. The seminar provided information on Advanced Child Custody Litigation. It was convened by the DeKalb Bar Family Section, Ms. Lord chaired a panel discussion by DeKalb Superior Court Judge Gregory Adams, Fulton Superior Court Judge Jane Barwick, and Henry Superior Court Judge Arch McMarity. In another segment of the program, Lord also presented detailed recommendations regarding the best structures to use for Guardian ad litem investigations, including ways that parties and counsel can help minimize the Guardian ad litem’s fees while still gaining important insights from the   investigation.

DFCS Investigations: Do’s and Don’ts When DFCS Calls

At a recent DeKalb Bar Family Section meeting, Family Section Board member Georgia Lord heard attorneys Lila Bradley and Lynn Goldman of Claiborne Fox Bradley LLC provide a wealth of practical information regarding Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) investigations and related Juvenile Court proceedings. Ms. Bradley and Ms. Goldman noted that a DFCS investigation can pop up unexpectedly during a custody dispute (for instance, in response to a complaint by other party or a member of their family), and cautioned that the manner in which a parent responds to the investigator can have a critical impact on the outcome of their custody case (and the wellbeing of the child involved).

They cautioned that Juvenile Court litigation should be handled by a specialist who is well-versed in the rules and procedures of that court.

Their suggestions included things to try to do and things to avoid doing when responding to DFCS staff. For example, here are several things persons who are the subject of a DFCS investigation should not do: [Read more…]

Georgia Lord Teaches Child Custody Lawyers

PanelPresentationOnGuardianAdLitemService

Georgia Lord (fourth from left) on Panel Providing Instruction On Guardian Ad Litem Service. Other panelists were attorneys A. Bernadette Olmos, George P. Shingler, Dawn Elizabeth de Klerk, Lila N. Bradley, and Robert A. Burnett.

Georgia Lord recently joined other custody litigation experts to teach child custody lawyers from Atlanta, Decatur, and DeKalb. Lord served as faculty at a Continuing Legal Education Seminar on “Advanced Issues Facing Custody Litigators and Guardians ad Litem.” Lord presented a scholarly assessment of the potential impact of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Marriage Equality decision. She reviewed the rules Georgia’s courts are likely to apply when deciding custody disputes between spouses or domestic partners of the same sex.

Georgia Lord also provided advice to prospective Guardians ad litem during the training. Guardians ad litem investigate custody disputes and make recommendations to the Judge regarding who will get custody. The Guardian works to provide the Judge with an objective assessment of which custody arrangement would best serve the child or children; she represents the “best interest” of the child or children whose custody is at issue. Lord is frequently appointed to serve as Guardian ad litem by local family court Judges. [Read more…]