Deal Law Firm, LLC

06/18/2026

Two years ago today, my husband, Doug Deal died. Although the three years he survived after COVID devastated his lungs were definitely the hardest of my life, picking up the pieces in the last two years has been much harder than I imagined.
Doug was instrumental to my law firm. He built Deal Law Firm from the internet up, on server space we owned: he began coding my website and email several years before we even decided I would enter private practice. He managed every technological aspect of my firm, hardware to software and everything in between. He managed my advertising, social media, Google business account, SEO, VOIP...if there was something that involved a machine, Doug managed it. I didn't even have to program my own cellphone.
(He also cooked most of the meals, bought the rest, and served as backup in every imaginable way to support my career, sometimes even sitting in on trials so that I had a "second chair" when the state brought in half their staff during a murder trial -- but I digress.)
Doug's friends have helped me get my website up and running again after his death. Running your own website, on your own server, is challenging if you have zero knowledge or understanding of computer programming. Last night, after procrastination on my end (and a shortening of the lifespan of security certificates), I was forced to face the challenge.
For many long hours, and with the help of Claude AI, I worked through the steps to renew my website certificate (which keep my website "alive"). When the intense focus on the screen caused my head to pound, I stopped for the night. After work today, I dove back in....and I got it done.
It is so hard starting over, especially after such dark and difficult years. Doug was my cheerleader. I never expected more from my law career than to be an underpaid ADA in a small county, but he saw my talent in the courtroom (sometimes literally, like when he took off work to come watch me prosecute my first murder trial in 2014). We built a wonderful law firm. He worked tirelessly on his end because he believed that I could do it.
Two years--and still I'm a long way from where I want to be, as an attorney and business owner (ha, and programmer, I guess!), but here I am, doing it.

06/16/2026

Alcoholism kills. It destroys families, careers, property, lives -- and whole communities. Maybe worst of all, it kills the spirit inside and destroys hope for the future.

As an attorney, I've seen what alcohol does to my clients' lives. My husband and I both saw our closest friends (many of them, sadly) die alcoholism-related deaths, including su***de. I've seen clients recover (and I've seen clients lose that battle). I choose to live alcohol-free, but I don't judge people for choosing to drink. If you don't feel like alcohol is a "choice" anymore, I can help you find resources for support, whether you're my client or not.

I've never been to an AA meeting, but I have seen many examples of its success. If you feel like you may benefit from a meeting, this is an excellent resource for finding AA meetings in Georgia.

Official AA site. Find a Meeting.

06/01/2026

If you have to ask your husband to get you a birthday cake, then you have to dialogue with him about what kind of birthday cake you might like, and THEN he takes your comment that you'll take anything as an excuse to get you a dinosaur cake AND THEN you feel the need to justify it because it "kinda looks like an alligator," and your daughter really likes alligators....COME SEE ME AND I WILL ABSOLUTELY DISCUSS DIVORCE WITH YOU.

Am I being dramatic? Yes, yes, I am. But I see women and men whose "partners" make zero effort all the time and I'm hear to tell you it's lame: if you care about your spouse, you need to show them with your words, your tone, and your actions. You should know what your wife's favorite cake is -- and you should get it for her on her birthday. You should know what your husband's favorite meal is -- and you should make/buy it for him on his birthday. You should remember anniversaries, birthdays, and major holidays, and celebrate them together WITH your partner and FOR your partner. This is what it means to show up and be present in your marriage and if you can't put forth the mental energy to do that, you shouldn't be married.

What do you think? Am I expecting too much for married men and women?

05/30/2026

If haven't seen this video, you should: it's an interaction between a police officer and a driver. The officer pulled the woman over because he thought she violated the law against holding a cellphone while driving. Notice not just his allegation -- that she was holding a phone in her right hand while driving -- but also the TONE of this interaction. He's hostile. And when she points out that she HAS NO RIGHT HAND, he doubles down on his allegation. The officer's interaction receives an "F" from me: he's overly aggressive for no reason, he's incorrect in his assessment of the facts, and he's unwilling to admit he is wrong. He ticketed the driver, who later got the charge dismissed (probably after paying an attorney). Officers make these kinds of mistakes every day, and often, the result is far more serious than an undeserved ticket. https://www.facebook.com/reel/26632853283083356

05/12/2026

One of my favorite former clients came to see me recently and he asked if he could get a picture with me. Of course!

When I consider what makes me different than any other lawyer, it's this: many of my clients become like family because I truly care. It's why clients come back to me when they need representation, it's why clients send their family and friends to me, and it's why I've even represented people who I first met as witnesses on my cases. I take pride in helping people transition to a better place in their lives and I try not only to provide excellent representation, but also to encourage personal growth, in all of my clients.

04/13/2026

It was a gorgeous day for court in Cochran. Bleckley County Superior Court has a wonderful Clerk and staff. Always a good day to practice law in rural Georgia!

04/08/2026

Georgia does not halt final divorce proceedings when a spouse is pregnant. I'm glad the law is changing in Missouri: as the article explains, pregnancy is often the catalyst for new and worsening domestic abuse. Divorce is another common cause of worsening marital violence. Preventing pregnant women from divorcing unnecessarily places women and children in physical, emotional, and financial danger.

Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe on Tuesday signed into law a bill banning state judges from delaying divorce proceedings because a spouse is pregnant.

04/08/2026

My best advice to moms in custody cases: accept that your mental health and drug dependency have a significant impact on your child's quality of life. Mothers justify drug dependency because the medications were prescribed, and they minimize alcohol dependency because wine is legal, but their children are not receiving the nurturing and stability they need. It's especially disappointing when there is an involved father, willing and able to take primary custody of the children, but unable to do so because many of our courts still favor a mother with diminished capacity over a sober father.

04/02/2026

Yesterday, I earned a dismissal of my client's case. I say I earned it because I dug into the facts again and again and again, picking apart a case propelled by an insistent "victim". My client and his family provided me with evidence that my client was not there and did not do what he was accused of -- and every time I asked them to dig deeper and give me more -- more pictures, more explanations, more context -- they did what I asked. My dogged determination paid off for my client and I'm proud to have had the opportunity to represent him.

Justice does not always prevail but when it does, it's a sweet victory.

03/26/2026

I was recently asked for my best advice to a dad in a divorce. Here it is: Don't be the dad who never changed a diaper but demands primary custody of the kids in a divorce. Every parent should know:
- Their children's routines, including bedtime, bath time, wakeup time, meal times, and school time;
- The names of their children's school, teachers, doctors, coaches, best friends, and favorite t.v. show characters;
- What grade their children are in and what academic areas they excel or struggle in, what after-school activities their children do, what their vaccination status is, what major health problems they've had, what allergies or sensitivities they have, and what medications they take (in what dosages); and
- Their favorite meals (which you should know how to cook), their favorite stuffed animal/doll/toy/blankies, their clothing and shoe sizes and preferences (because children are human beings and they deserve to be comfortable, too).

Knowing your child (or your children) is a bare minimum, bottom rung on the parenting ladder kind of thing, and yet many people would be shocked at how many divorcing fathers -- not men who fathered children out of wedlock and have never had the opportunity to live with them, but men who share the same four walls with their children on a daily basis -- do not know this information. Frankly, it's inexcusable, and if you come to a divorce attorney asking for primary custody of your children and you don't know this information, you should have a very clear reason why you don't know and why you are better suited to be the primary caregiver of the child, despite not knowing them.