Melody Z. Richardson
Melody is a founding member of Pachman Richardson, LLC, where she practices family law and serves as mediator, arbitrator and Guardian ad Litem.
Practice Areas
Family Law; Collaborative Family Law; Matrimonial Law; Divorce (contested and uncontested); Support, including Alimony and Child Support; Modification, including Custody, Child Support and Alimony; Prenuptial Agreements; Separation Agreements; Settlement Agreements; Paternity; Legitimation; Name Change; Mediation; Arbitration, including Arbitration of Custody Disputes; Guardian Ad Litem.
Bar Admissions
- Georgia 1985
- Supreme Court of Georgia 1985
- Georgia Court of Appeals 1985
- U.S. Supreme Court 2003
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit 1985
- U.S. District Court, Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Georgia 1985
Peer Review Rating
- AV Rated (highest rating available)
Education
- University of Georgia School of Law, J.D., 1985
- Research Editor, University of Georgia Law Review 1984-1985
- Member, Georgia Law Review, 1983-1984
- Emory College, B.A., 1981
Honors & Awards
- Selected for inclusion in The Top 100 Lawyers in 2011 Georgia Super Lawyers
- Selected for inclusion as a Georgia Super Lawyer 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
- Named one of the Top 50 Woman Attorneys in Georgia in 2009, 2010, 2011
- Named one of Georgia’s Legal Elite 2008, 2010
- Community Service Project Award from the Atlanta Bar in 2009 –
Profiled in The Atlanta Lawyer, Oct. 2009: Download
Associations & Accreditations
- State Bar of Georgia, Family Law Section
- Atlanta Bar Association, Family Law Section
- Co-chair, Community Service/Pro Bono Service Section 2011
- Chair 2008-2009
- Vice Chair/Chair Elect 2007-2008
- Secretary 2006-2007
- Treasurer 2005-2006
- Member at Large 2002-2005
- Editor-in-Chief, Family Law Newsletter, 2001-2004
- Chair, Law Day Committee, 2003
- Master, Charles Longstreet Weltner Family Law American Inn of Court
- Atlanta Collaborative Divorce Alliance – sustaining member
- Collaborative Law Institute of Georgia
- International Academy of Collaborative Professionals
- Sigma Tau Delta
- Phi Alpha Delta (Vice Justice, 1985)
- Certified Mediator
- Certified Guardian Ad Litem by Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation
Publications & Seminar Presentations
Author/Speaker
Emory Law School Litigation class guest speaker
"What Role Can a Lawyer Play for a Child in Family Court?" Atlanta Magazine, March 2009
"Heart Flush: Best Interest of the Child Prevails" and "Collaborative Family Law: Catch the Wave," February 14, 2008
"Winning at Mediation: Dance to the Music," New Developments in Family Law and Mediation, May 3, 2007
"Prenuptial Agreements," Atlanta Woman Magazine, February 2007, (Vol. 6,
Issue 2)
"For Love or Money: the Financial Aspects of Divorce," February 14, 2004
"Georgia Custody Issues," November 2000
"Georgia Family Law Practice for Paralegals," October 2000
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