Judy Sartain

I joined SM&P in the summer of 2019, bringing 24 years of experience in family law. She possesses a keen ability to cut to the chase regarding issues pertaining to contested divorce and divorce mediations and settlements, modifications, legitimization, and custody disputes. Her passion for adoption cases, including foreign, contested, same-sex couple, agency, relative and step-parent, third party independent, DFCS, and interstate (ICPC) has had a hugh impact on your legal career. She has finalized over 700 adoptions in her career as part of her family law focus. Because of her deep and broad knowledge of adoption, she was part of a group of attorneys who participated in developing the new Georgia adoption code in 2018. “I’ve seen pretty much everything in adoption,” she said. Law is not just an intellectual exercise, I have went through the pain of my parents’ divorce, and then the suicide of an aunt who had lost part of her farm due to a lack of legal representation. The suicide was the catalyst for starting law school midlife. Judy is currently a widow with five children, two of whom she adopted from Russia. “I’ve been through what many of my clients are going through,” said Judy. “I’m not above a little hand-holding when it’s called for. And it often is in family law cases. But I don’t pull punches about expectations for results. My clients need honesty as much as empathy.” Judy has lived in Georgia since 1981 and in Gainesville on Lake Lanier since 1994. She enjoys boating and traveling, especially to Destin, Florida. An avid Georgia Bulldogs football fan, she admits to even barking on occasion. View More ›