Top Best Family Lawyers | 21716 Available

Randy J. Blankenship is a magna cum laude graduate of Chase College of Law, where he graduated first in his class. He is admitted to practice in Ohio and Kentucky. He is also admitted to practice before the United States District Court and the United States Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court.. Randy has over 30 years experience in civil litigation, including personal injury, employment law, consumer protection, business litigation and family law.. Randy is involved in many social activities including membership on the Erlanger City Council and on the Boards of the Erlanger Housing and Development Corporation, Baptist Life Communities, and Envision Learning Center. He is an active member of the Mercy Church.. Randy resides in Erlanger, KY with his wife Kathy.  His daughter, Amy, works for Fidelity Investments and his son, Ben, is a member of the United States Army, 82nd Airborne Division. He enjoys reading, ventriloquism, history and travel.

Stacey Smythe has more than 31 years of legal experience focusing in Family Law, Estate planning and Probate. Stacey represents both men and women in all family law matters which include divorce, child custody, child support, paternity and estate planning. She will help you understand your rights and empower you to make the best decisions for yourself while protecting your best interests. Stacey is a child advocate and strives to pursue the goals of clients that will serve the best interest of their children.. Stacey is committed to open communication with clients and recognizes the need to keep clients fully informed throughout their case.

Pain is inevitable; misery is optional. That is the philosophy that governs Mark Shields’ approach to legal problems, particularly in family law. While many legal issues deal with contracts, bills or dented fenders, a family law situation is thicker because it deals directly with people. What’s more, those people comprise the family, which Mark believes to be the fundamental unit of society. Because a family law issue is so important and so personal, it should be handled by someone who understands humans and someone who cares. Mark believes that being down to earth and an honest, approachable guy is just as important in the practice of law as it is in life in general.. Mark Shields has been married for over seventeen years and is the proud father of five daughters. He is a native of Phoenix and has deep Arizona roots, going back four generations. He is also a third-generation Arizona lawyer. Mark graduated from Washington High School in Phoenix and graduated from Brigham Young University in 1993 with a degree in sociology. Before earning his bachelor’s degree, Mark also spent two years in Portugal as a missionary for his church and working with people of varied backgrounds, ethnicities, and cultures. After working for a year or two while his wife finished up her degree, Mark entered the J. Reuben Clark Law School, where he graduated in 1997. Mark’s law school class was ranked seventh in the nation for average GPA and LSAT scores, so he was immediately initiated into a highly competitive environment.. Mark began with Gillespie, Shields & Durrant back when it was Gillespie & Associates in 1996, prior to his last year of law school. Since that time, Mark has practiced heavily in the area of family law and has also had extensive experience in civil litigation, employment law, juvenile law, and insurance disputes.. Mark is happy to report that his approach to practicing law has changed remarkably little during this recession because he has always sought to deliver true value to his clients. Whether the case involves millions of dollars or no dollars, Mark has consistently sought to provide his clients the best service for the most accessible price.. In his spare time, if there is such a thing, Mark enjoys spending time with his family (especially when it’s in the White Mountains), listening to fine music of many genres, building high quality stereo speakers, home improvement projects, and, more recently writing. Mark has published two religious books and hopes to publish more in the years to come. Mark speaks Portuguese and has also studied Spanish, German, and a few other languages through the years.

I attended Sac State and received my law degree from Lincoln Law School which I paid for by working as a Correctional Officer at Mule Creek State Prison.  I also worked for the Franchise Tax Board and passed the bar exam in 1998 while there.  I went into private practice in 2002 with my primary focus being family law.  I have successfully defended several decisions on appeal with the most recent being published on request of a domestic violence organization.  Being a victim of domestic violence myself, I am a very strong advocate for clients and their children who have or are suffering abuse at the hands of another.. I enjoy local travel to ghost and gold mining towns in the Sierra's, both California and Nevada and also enjoy the occasional stop at some of the local winery's found in the Sierra foothills.  I am also a huge fan of our beautiful California coastline and travel to favorite destinations up and down through coastal city's and communities any chance I get.  I am married with two wonderful children and a loving husband to share my life with.

Experienced Family attorney serving clients in United States and surrounding areas.

Every divorce, custody, or family dispute is challenging and emotional for the individuals involved. Through compassion and communication, Nicole’s personalized approach seeks to reduce her clients’ stress, while assisting in formulating her clients’ priorities and achieving her clients’ goals through settlement or litigation.. Nicole’s extensive experience as a family law gives her a unique and significant perspective that she applies to her practice, and to her work as a mediator and court-appointed parenting coordinator. Nicole believes in settlement as a potential vehicle to accomplish her clients’ goals. However, when negotiation and compromise are not viable, Nicole zealously protects and advocates for her clients in Court.. Even before becoming an attorney, Nicole’s strong desire to serve families and protect children was evident. Nicole worked as a case specialist for Child Protective Services (CPS) which is now the Department of Children’s Services (DCS) and for Sojourner Center (a domestic violence shelter) as an advocate.. Following a position managing the legal department of a local non-profit organization, Nicole practiced family law as an associate attorney and later a partner at three boutique family law firms in Phoenix  which handled complex divorce and custody cases. After working with Launi Jones-Sheldon for six years, Nicole and Launi continued their partnership and opened the law firm of Sheldon & Stoutner.. Nicole was honored to be appointed as a full-time judicial officer in the Maricopa County Superior Court in August of 2020 and served on the bench for a year before deciding to resume private practice. This experience, along with Nicole’s position as a divorce and paternity mediator for the Maricopa County Superior Court, provide her with valuable experience and insight about the workings of the court and judges’ decision-making processes.. Over the years, Nicole has received numerous awards and recognition related to her work as a family law attorney. She was invited to teach a course on family law as a an adjunct law professor at a local law school. On a regular basis, Nicole authors articles and presents Continuing Legal Education seminars through and for the Arizona State Bar, the Maricopa County Bar, the Arizona Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts and the Arizona Supreme Court Committee on the Impact of Domestic Violence. Topics include family law trial techniques and advocacy, current case law, mental health issues in the family court, autism and the family court, serving minority clients, orders of protection, multi-jurisdictional custody and support issues, and cultural competency.. Nicole is appointed to serve as a judge pro tem for the Maricopa County Superior Court and conducts Alternative Dispute Resolution Conferences, as well as private mediations. She is a trained Parenting Coordinator and appears on the Maricopa County Superior Court Mental Health Roster.. In her spare time, Nicole enjoys reading, skiing, travel, sporting events, and most importantly spending time with her family.. Nicole speaks both Spanish and Italian.

Attorney Andrew Piela has been practicing law in New Hampshire and beyond for over 27 years. He focuses his practice on family law, probate litigation, civil litigation, and appellate work.. Clients working with Andrew are provided the peace of mind of having a highly experienced legal partner on their side. Andrew regularly appears in trial courts in New Hampshire and Massachusetts and also handles appeals before the New Hampshire Supreme Court and Massachusetts Court of Appeals.. Some of his successful cases include:. Representing, through superior court litigation, landowners who sought to develop shore land along Squam Lake and Newfound Lake.Multiple orders securing several million dollars in insurance coverage for a client involved in a construction liability case.Litigating a products liability case, which led to a significant limitation in a defendant’s ability to attribute liability to unnamed parties.Successful litigation of a case in both the superior court and supreme court that clarified whether a party to a divorce can change the beneficiaries on their life insurance policies without first obtaining court approval.Prior to joining Shaheen & Gordon, Andrew was a director at Hamblett & Kerrigan, P.A., where he was responsible for all aspects of preparing and trying domestic, land use/boundary line, probate, tax abatement, personal injury, and commercial disputes for trial and appeal in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Tabitha was born in San Diego, California and lived there until she was 12. She then moved to Billings, Montana where she received her Bachelors of Science in Human Service and a Associates in Chemical Dependency Rehabilitation from Montana State University, Billings. After graduating from college Tabitha went to work for the the Billings Family Drug Court treatment team, and was a case manager for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Tabitha’s experience with the family drug court is what lead Tabitha to attend law school. She wanted the opportunity to help individuals on more of a personal level by working to resolve some of the legal issues they were facing.. While attending law school Tabitha was awarded the Certificate of Service for her Pro-Bono work. Tabitha has worked in several public offices in Maricopa County including the Maricopa County Public Defender’s Office, Arizona Attorney General’s Office, Arizona Department of Liquor.. Additionally, Tabitha has worked for several private law firms in the valley. Tabitha’s first job was at a high volume firm which focused primarily on criminal defense and family law. Subsequently, Tabitha worked for the Harding Firm and MyAZLawyers where she focused her practice on family law. Tabitha had the opportunity to work in the courtroom appearing at resolution management conferences, temporary order hearings, child support hearings, enforcement hearings and trials.. After working in private law firms, Tabitha had the opportunity to work as a Staff Attorney for the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. While working for the Salt River Pima-Mariocpa Indian Community, Tabitha focused primarily on family law. Her practice included divorce, custody, establishment of paternity, parenting time, and child support. She also worked with step parents to complete severance of parental rights and adoptions. She also worked on complex Indian Child Welfare cases. Further, Tabitha worked with clients to resolve consumer credit issues and worked with insurance companies to resolve car accident payments. She had the opportunity to complete over a hundred cases while with the Salt River-Pima Maricopa Indian Community.. Tabitha is licensed by the Arizona Supreme Court and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Court.. In her spare time Tabitha enjoys volunteering in the community, attending Suns games, and taking her dogs to the dog park.

I grew up in Pensacola, Florida and graduated college from Florida State University.  I worked as a paralegal in Florida, Georgia and Washington State prior to entering law school.  One of the most fulfilling experiences I have had was attending Suffolk University Law School in Boston, Massachusettes.  After graduation in 2004, I was admitted to the North Carolina State Bar and begain handling real estate transactions, creating wills and other documents for client's estate plans, and administering the estates of deceased loved ones.  After handling my first custody case, I knew family law was the practice area in which I wanted to specialize.  Family law matters touch upon many different areas of life and my personal and legal experience gives me an advantage.  I have worked in small firms and large firms to include Stubbs Perdue and White & Allen  but now enjoy the flexibility and satisfaction of operating Forrest Family Law.  This career choice affords me the ability to focus on each client's individual needs.  I dedicate my entire practice to helping clients find the right solutions to their family law matters. Myself and my staff understand that family law matters can be some of the most difficult legal issues to have to work through—especially without solid legal advice. This is why I offer individualized advice and effective service for clients who are going through a divorce, custody battle or facing other family law matters.. If you need assistance or just need some advice please call today to schedule a consultation.

As a client you should expect personalized, responsive, efficient, and high quality work from your attorney. In most cases, the legal counsel that you choose will be assisting you in making decisions in an area which you have little or no experience. In choosing the right firm for you or your business, you should be confident and comfortable with the decision you are making. You should find someone that you are comfortable speaking to and someone that is able to listen and communicate with you. We strive to reach each of these expectations in our practice and daily dealings with clients.. I take great pride in the fact that our past and present clients have entrusted our firm to assist them with their legal affairs. Each member of our staff realizes the personal nature of the services that we provide and the emotions that are often inextricably intertwined.. I hope that you allow us to assist you, as we have done for so many others.

JAMES R. SCHMILLEN, an Arizona native, obtained his Bachelor of Science degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Arizona in 1998, with a double major in Accounting and Finance.  While at the University of Arizona, Jim was named to the Dean’s List, was a member of the University of Arizona Honors Program, and served as a Teaching Assistant for multiple tax law courses.  He received his J.D. in 2001 from the Arizona State University College of Law, graduating cum laude.  During law school, Jim was a Pedrick Scholar, recipient of the CALI Award for Academic Excellence, and earned Honors in Legal Method and Writing.  Jim was also a Legal Method and Writing Teaching Assistant and a member of the Arizona State Law Journal.  Jim was honored with the Arizona State University College of Law Pro Bono Distinction for his service as President of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program, assisting in the preparation of hundreds of tax returns for low income taxpayers.. Jim began practicing law at a complex commercial litigation law firm in 1998.   After three years in private practice, Jim took a position as in-house counsel and executive for a private, family owned group of companies that employed up to 2,200 individuals and provided construction related products and services throughout Arizona and Nevada.  While serving in this position, Jim held a leadership role as well as having responsibility for all aspects of corporate representation.  Jim was able to practice family law on a pro bono basis, helping individuals that could not afford representation.  After serving in this role for nearly seven years, Jim had the opportunity to pursue his dream of opening his own law firm in 2011.  Jim primarily focuses his practice on family law and civil litigation.  Jim is a regular volunteer with Family Legal Assistance Program (FLAP) and was awarded Attorney of the Month for February 2015 through the Volunteer Lawyers Program and designated as a 2015 Top Pro Bono Attorney in Arizona by the Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education. Jim was elected to the Board of Directors for the Maricopa County Bar Association Family Law Section in 2016.. Aside from his professional endeavors, Jim enjoys being active and spends his free time doing anything that involves being outdoors – including golfing, scuba diving, snow skiing/snowboarding, hiking, trail riding, boating, camping, fishing and travelling.

I am currently an Associate Attorney at Nigro, Pettepit & Lucas, LLP.  While my primary focus has been family law and divorce matters, I have a wide range of experience in civil litigation matters, such as equity complaints, petitions to partition, and estate litigation. I also have experience with real estate transactions, estate planning and drafting, estate administration, and trust accounting.. I began working at Nigro, Pettepit & Lucas, LLP as a legal intern in May 2012, and I continued this position part-time while obtaining my J.D. from Suffolk University Law School. I joined the firm full time upon my graduation from Suffolk University Law School in 2014. I was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in November of 2014.. In January 2016, I obtained my certification in Limited Assistance Representation (LAR) in all divisions of the Probate and Family Court. I also completed a SJC approved ADR Probate and Family Court Conciliation Training Program in November of 2016.. My goal is to provide clients with the best possible guidance during what can be extremely difficult times, both emotionally and financially.  I work closely with my clients in order to achieve their objectives in a strategic and effective manner. I strive to build strong and long lasting relationships with my clients, as I hope to be the person they engage for any future needs they may have.

Experienced Family attorney serving clients in United States and surrounding areas.

Experienced Family attorney serving clients in United States and surrounding areas.

Experienced Family attorney serving clients in United States and surrounding areas.

Experienced Family attorney serving clients in United States and surrounding areas.

Experienced Family attorney serving clients in United States and surrounding areas.

Experienced Family attorney serving clients in United States and surrounding areas.

Experienced Family attorney serving clients in United States and surrounding areas.