Top Divorce Lawyers in ZIP 30097 | 13 available

Ryan R. Shafer is an associate attorney with Meriwether & Tharp, LLC.  Prior to joining the firm Ryan obtained considerable experience litigating family law cases as an associate attorney with Ferguson Law Firm, P.C. located in Jonesboro, Georgia.  Ryan has litigated divorce, modification, child support, legitimation and contempt cases in Fulton, Clayton, Henry, Fayette and Spalding counties.. Ryan was born and raised in Florence, New Jersey.  He graduated from La Salle University in 2008 with a degree in Mathematics.  He obtained his law school degree from Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School in 2013.  After his first year of law school, Ryan had a summer internship with Supreme Court Justice Virginia Long of the Supreme Court of New Jersey.  During his last semester of law school Ryan was selected to participate in the DeKalb County Family Law Externship Clinic where under the 3rd Year Practice Act he represented indigent litigants in family law matters in front of Chief Judge Mark Anthony Scott.  This experience solidified Ryan’s decision to practice family law after having the opportunity to help clients get through such difficult times.  Additionally, Ryan received a CALI Award for Excellence in Trademark Law for earning the highest grade in his class, served as a Peer Mentor to first year law students and was selected as a Student Ambassador.. On a personal level, Ryan enjoys watching and playing all sports, working out, drawing and spending time with his family and friends.

Over my career I have enjoyed helping people which is what attracted me to family law. Advocating for my clients is my passion. Not only do I bring zealous advocacy, I also make sure my clients feel represented and respected during this trying process. My motto is that doctors save lives but lawyers can make it better to live. I always aspired to be the attorney I'd want representing me.

Ms. Hundredmark heads the domestic relations division for Andersen, Tate, & Carr, P.C., while also working within the criminal practice division.  Ms. Hundredmark is considered a leader in the southeast in both family and criminal law related matters, and can often be seen in the news, offering her legal insight on cases in the National spotlight.. While Ms. Hundredmark is a skilled litigator that will aggressively pursue justice in any legal matter, she is also considered a Guardian ad Litem by the Superior Court.  While serving in the role of Guardian ad Litem, Ms. Hundredmark uses her skills to serve children whose parents are facing divorce. She becomes their advocate, ensuring justice for children that are being impacted by divorce.. In her criminal law practice, Ms. Hundredmark leaves no room for error, ensuring the best possible outcome for her clients. She has attained certifications in Georgia for both DUI Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing. Ms. Hundredmark is considered by her peers to be a true trial attorney and skilled litigator.

Mrs. Ruble's practice areas include family law, divorce, separation, custody, child support, legitimation, family violence, and Depedancy/DFCS actions.  Her practice areas include both family law matters and business litigation.   Charlotte became interested in family law based on a guardianship action for her niece and nephew prior to law school.  This exposure to the Family Law Court system launched empathy for individuals going through family transitions.   Charlotte also finds that her business background is frequently used to analyze the financial transitions that occur in family law cases, helping her strategically advise clients to prepare for their financial future.. Charlotte began practicing law with the Chair of the Family Law Section of the Georgia Bar.  The Family Law section of the Georgia Bar is a professional organization associated with the lawyer licensing board in Georgia.   Mentored by the chair for nearly two years, Charlotte gained extensive litigation experience in family law.  This litigation experience coupled with her internship in the Superior Court of Cherokee County with Judge Ellen McElyea  has provided countless hours of family law arguments, strategies, and knowledge in this field.. Mrs. Ruble handles a broad range of family law cases including divorce, separation, custody, child support, legitimation, family violence actions, and Dependancy/DFCS actions.   Modification actions and contempt proceedings are also part of her practice area.  Mrs. Ruble advocates for her clients' interests in a cost effective approach.  Clients are not only advised on the legal issues in their case, but also cost effective strategies for their case.  This includes advisement on courses of action and the financial considerations for those actions.  Mrs. Ruble strongly believes that parties should try to resolve matters in a collaborative fashion whenever possible, however, she understands that there are times when it is necessary and appropriate to use her litigation background as a strategic advantage for clients... General Background and Education. Mrs. Ruble was born in New Orleans, Lousiana.  Her family moved to Cherokee County, Georgia in 1989.   Her father was a officer in the United States Navy.  Her family has been involved in the Cherokee County community for almost 30 years.. Mrs. Ruble attended Georgia State University earning a Bachelor's in Spanish and a Bachelor's in German.  While in college, Mrs. Ruble attended many international languages programs abroad through the University System of Georgia including programs with Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Georgia.  These programs provided colleagate courses in Germany, Mexico, and a series of Arbitration courts in the European Union.  Mrs. Ruble then continued her education at Georgia State University earning a specialized Master's Degree in International Business.  Charlotte focused her Master's degree on law and finance comparing the practice of law in the United States to other countries.. Mrs. Ruble worked for the Foreign Commerical Service sector of the United State Government at the American Consulate in Munich, Germany in 2008.  She then decided to transition her passion for law into a more domestic setting attending Mercer University School of Law.    In addition to the rigors of a law school curriculum, Mrs. Ruble interned with Judge Ellen McElyea in the Superior Court of Cherokee County and then worked as a law clerk for Weinberg, Wheeler, Hudgins, Gunn, & Dial for two years while finishing law school.. At Weinberg, Wheeler, Hudgins, Gunn, & Dial, Mrs. Ruble gained litigation experience working on large scale insurance defense cases in areas including premise liability, medical malpratice, breach of contract, and trucking accidents.  While she thoroughly enjoyed the court room side of this practice area, Mrs. Ruble felt that the human component and connection with clients was an essential and the most rewarding part of being a lawyer.. Mrs. Ruble went to work in the area of Family Law for the Chair of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia after graduating law school.  She joined Meriwether & Tharp in 2013.  Mrs. Ruble was on the Board of the Forsyth County Bar Association from 2014 to 2017.  She was President of the Forsyth County Bar Association from 2016 to 2017.

Hope Ries is a Georgia native. She was born, raised and educated in Georgia and is passionate about staying local to help her community.  Hope’s favorite aspect of the practice of law is helping individuals in their time of need and assisting them get through difficult situations. Hope believes in the Golden Rule and treating people she wants to be treated. She works diligently to obtain the best possible result for the clients based on the individual clients goal. Hope describes herself as a good listener, and promises honesty whether you want to hear it or not. She believes in educating her clients to help them understand the process of divorce to help them feel empowered through the process.

Alexa Dato is an associate attorney with Meriwether & Tharp, LLC. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Alabama in 2018 with a bachelor's degree in Spanish and Political Science as well as a master's degree in Public Administration. At Alabama, Alexa gave tours of the university as a member of Capstone Men & Women, and she served as Personnel Chair of Chi Omega sorority. Following her family's move from Memphis, TN to Alpharetta, GA, Alexa attended law school at the University of Georgia.. Alexa became interested in working with families after spending three semesters with UGA Law's Family Justice Clinic, which provides legal aid to victims of domestic violence. Alexa continued her advocacy work as a member of the Moot Court team, placing as a Finalist in the National Online Moot Court Competition and participating in the Intrastate Moot Court Competition. During her time as a "Law Dawg," Alexa helped students and administrators navigate challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic as Vice President of her 2L and 3L classes. In her final year of law school, Alexa completed training to be a Neutral Mediator with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution and she clerked for the Honorable Chief Judge Eric Norris at the Superior Court of Athens-Clarke County.. Outside of the office, Alexa enjoys spending time with family at Lake Lanier and hanging out with her pug, A.J., and her cat Dolly, named for beloved humanitarian Dolly Parton.

A partner with Meriwether & Tharp LLC, Robert L. Tharp offers legal representation to people in Atlanta and Johns Creek, Georgia. He focuses his practice on family law, handling cases involving divorce, child custody, contempt actions, modifications to child support and alimony, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, paternity, family violence, grandparents’ rights, divorce and military divorce.. In 1993, Mr. Tharp graduated from Emory University with a Bachelor of Arts. He then studied law at Emory University School of Law and received his Juris Doctor in 1996. That same year, he was admitted to practice law in the state of Georgia.. Family law matters are often difficult for people to go through, given the intense emotions that are involved. Mr. Tharp understands this and sits down with clients to help them put these emotions aside. He then educates clients about their rights and options, giving them the ability to make decisions that will be of benefit to them at the current time, as well as in the future. Mr. Tharp believes in trying to achieve results for clients amicably but will take the matter into a courtroom, if necessary. He is known for his great compassion and respect for clients’ feelings and challenges.. Civic involvement is important to Mr. Tharp. He has been involved with various debate projects including extensive involvement in the formative years of the Atlanta Urban Debate League. For his efforts in this area, Emory University presented Mr. Tharp with the Warren Akin Outstanding Alumni Contribution award.

**To schedule a phone consultation with Irena, please call**. Irena Chernova is an associate attorney with Meriwether & Tharp, LLC and practices family law.  Irena was admitted to the Georgia Bar in 2014, and immediately began practicing, focusing primarily on family law at a firm in Woodstock, Georgia. There, Irena spent three years litigating divorce, contempt, family violence, modification, and adoption cases in Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb, Cherokee, Forsyth, and other surrounding Georgia counties.  Irena had the opportunity to gain experience quickly and participated in jury trials, bench trials, temporary hearings, emergency hearings, mediations, and depositions.. Irena earned her Juris Doctorate from Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School, graduating magna cum laude in the top 5% of her class. She was also a recipient of the John E. Ryan Merit Scholarship, a prestigious honor only awarded to the top fifteen scholars.  During her time at AJMLS, she participated in Moot Court, the Board Room (a Transactional Drafting Competitive team), and served as Executive Articles Editor of the AJMLS Law Journal.  In her third year of law school, Irena interned with the DeKalb County Solicitor’s Office and gained valuable litigation experience trying cases under the Third Year Practice Act.. Prior to law school, Irena attended the University of Georgia where she earned Bachelor’s degrees in Advertising and International Affairs with a minor in Russian. She remains a proud Dawg and you can find her wearing red and black every fall Saturday.. Though Irena is a native of St. Petersburg, Russia, she grew up in Georgia and considers Atlanta her home. Irena has a passion for helping her clients through the complicated legal process in difficult times.  She makes it a priority to ensure that her clients understand the legal process which can often be confusing and complex.  Irena is comfortable at the negotiation table as well as the court room, and is a zealous advocate for her clients’ best interests in any scenario.. Irena is fluent in Russian and she currently resides in Cobb County with her family and two dogs. She loves stroller runs with her son, cooking, a good reality TV show, and eating cheese dip on patios in the spring time.

"Divorce hurts, but it doesn't have to be nasty." After 16 years of being in the courtroom, I have settled into practicing exclusively family law. In addition to working to ensure fair settlements in these cases, I believe a part of my role as an Attorney is to educate my clients about the impact the law will have on their specific issues. I strive to help them to understand the legal implications associated with their choices, and provide them with the information they need to make the best decisions for themselves and their families. My focus is resolution driven with the least amount of conflict possible.