Atlanta Family Law Team

Biography

Melody is the Managing Member of Richardson Bloom & Lines LLC, where she focuses primarily on complex and high asset matrimonial matters, Melody draws on her 30-years of diverse litigation experience to bring practical and case-specific solutions to all of her clients. Although she has substantial litigation experience and success, Melody is also an active leader in the field of collaborative law. Melody also has an extensive Guardian ad Litem practice, and is a certified mediator. Melody served as a board member of the Family Law Section of the Atlanta Bar Association from 2002-2009. Melody was the Chair of that Section in 2009. She is an acknowledged leader in her field, having been selected for inclusion as a Georgia Super Lawyer each year since 2007, one of Georgia’s Top 50 Women Lawyers every year since 2009, and as one of Georgia’s Top 100 Lawyers. Melody was also recent selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in Georgia 2015 and has just accepted an invitation to become a member of The National Association of Distinguished Counsel, where membership is limited to the nation’s top one percent of attorneys. Melody is also a Fellow in Litigation Counsel of America. Melody’s philosophy of giving back to the community is demonstrated by her awards and achievements in the area of service. She was the recipient of the Atlanta Bar Association’s Community Service Award for spearheading a playground build at Perkerson Elementary School in Southwest Atlanta, the Atlanta Bar Association’s Achievement Award for her work as the Co-Chair the Law Day Committee, where she currently serves as chair, and the Atlanta Bar Association’s Family First Award for her extraordinary service and contributions to the families of Atlanta. Melody was also a member of the award-winning 2013 and 2014 Atlanta Dream Team Law Day Symposium, and Chaired the Atlanta Dream Team program in 2015. Melody is a native of Atlanta, having graduated from Dunwoody High School, Emory University, and the University of Georgia School of Law in 1985. She is married and she and her husband have one daughter, who is a student at the University of Miami.

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

Biography

Dan is a Member of the law firm Richardson Bloom & Lines LLC, where he practices exclusively in the area of family law. In addition to his litigation and collaborative practice, he is a mediator and arbitrator in family law matters, and serves as a Guardian ad Litem in Superior Courts throughout the State. Formerly, Dan was Deputy Director of the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation where he established their Domestic Violence project, administered the Guardian ad Litem program and supported the Foundation’s volunteers in their pro bono efforts on behalf of low-income individuals and families. He served for five years as a Magistrate Judge in Fulton County Superior Court, specially assigned to the Family Division. Dan is sought after for his expertise in child custody matters, and is considered one of the State’s finest attorneys in that area. When advising his clients, he is always conscious of how the children are affected by a process over which they have no control. Dan served on the Temporary Protective Order Registry Steering Committee for the Georgia Commission on Family Violence, on the Advisory Committee for the Georgia Domestic Violence Fatality Review Project, on the Board of Directors for the Partnership Against Domestic Violence and is a past chair of the Family Law Section of the Atlanta Bar Association. Currently, Dan is on the Advisory Boards for the Emory Public Interest Committee at Emory Law School and the Health Law Partnership at the Atlanta Legal Aid Society, and serves on the Executive Committee of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia. He is frequently invited to lecture on parenting and custody issues unique to same-gender families. Dan is a third generation native of Atlanta. He and his husband are the proud and exhausted parents of boy and girl twins, who attend The Paideia School.

Education

• Emory Law School, J.D., 2004
• Tulane University, B.A., 1989

Biography

Kyla is a member of the law firm Richardson Bloom & Lines LLC. Kyla has practiced exclusively in the area of family law for the entirety of her legal career. Prior to her employment with RBL, she spent nine years as the Staff Attorney to the Honorable Cynthia D. Wright in the Superior Court of Fulton County’s Family Division. Kyla’s tenure as a judicial staff attorney provides her with a unique perspective, allowing her to advise her clients effectively and strategically, while evaluating potential outcomes. Kyla’s goal in handling her cases is to make a difficult situation better for her clients. When custody is an issue, she keeps the best interests of the children as her priority. When complex financial issues arise, Kyla strives to provide her clients with strategic, realistic, solution-focused advice. Kyla handles all aspects of complex divorce cases, including child custody disputes, modification of child support, and modification of custody. She is a mediator and serves as an arbitrator. Kyla is certified to practice Collaborative Law and also frequently serves as a court-appointed Guardian ad Litem in contested custody cases. She is often invited to speak to peers, other professionals, and law students regarding various family-law related issues. Georgia Trend Magazine has recognized Kyla as “Legal Elite” in the area of Family Law, and she has been named a “Rising Star” in family law by Law & Politics and Atlanta Magazine. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Family Law Section of the DeKalb Bar Association and on the Board of Directors of the Atlanta Independent Women’s Network. Kyla is a native of Marietta, Ohio. She graduated from Rutgers College in New Brunswick, New Jersey with Bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Philosophy. She went on to obtain her law degree from the Georgia State University College of Law. While in law school, she was an active member of the Moot Court Board. Kyla resides Decatur. When she is not helping her clients, she can often be found on a tennis court. Kyla has been an active member of ALTA since she first picked up a tennis racquet in 2001, and she also enjoys playing in multiple singles tennis leagues.

Education

• Georgia State University College of Law, J.D., 2001
• Rutgers College, Rutgers University, B.A., 1995

Biography

Rachel is an Associate Attorney of the law firm Richardson Bloom & Lines LLC, where she practices exclusively in the area of domestic relations law. Rachel also has experience in adoption work, specifically grandparent and step-parent adoptions. In addition, she is trained as a Guardian ad Litem. Rachel is a native of Atlanta. She graduated from University of Maryland, summa cum laude, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. During her junior year, she was honored to be inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. After graduation, Rachel went on to attend the University of Georgia School of Law where she graduated cum laude, in 2007. While in law school, Rachel served as a member of the editorial board of The Georgia Law Review. Rachel’s career goal is to combine her background in psychology with a legal education in order to help people through a difficult period in their lives. She believes that her role as “counselor-at-law” is just as important, if not more important in some cases, as her role as attorney-at-law. Rachel strives to ensure that her clients’ divorce, or other domestic relations matter, is as emotionally painless as possible. She also works hard to minimize the impact on her clients’ children. Rachel and her husband live in Buckhead with their two sweet and energetic daughters.

Education

• University of Georgia School of Law, J.D., 2007
• University of Maryland, B.S., 2004

Biography

William is an associate attorney with Richardson Bloom & Lines LLC, where he practices exclusively in the area of domestic relations law. Prior to joining Richardson Bloom & Lines LLC, William practiced family law with another prominent Atlanta law firm. William is also trained as a Guardian ad Litem.

William is a second generation family law attorney, and prides himself on his ability to effectively guide his clients through this often difficult stage in their lives with as little disruption as possible, while also working hard to ensure that their interests are protected.

William is a native of Atlanta, Georgia. He graduated cum laude from the University of Georgia in 2008 with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. He then went on to obtain his law degree from Georgia State University College of Law in 2012. While in law school, William served as the President of the Moot Court Executive Board. Also while in law school, William competed in the Emory University School of Law’s Civil Rights and Liberties Moot Court Competition, and the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, and later served as a coach for the teams competing in the same competitions, as well as the Inter-American Sustainable Development Law Moot Court Competition in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Biography

Sean is an Office Manager of the law firm Richardson Bloom & Lines LLC, where he ensures the daily operations run smoothly. Since he joined the firm in 2006, he maintains account payable, accounts receivable and monthly billing. Formerly, Sean worked with Emory University Network Communications. He attended Florida State University where his studies focused on a Bachelors of Science. Sean has been a resident of Decatur since he moved there from Fort Lauderdale in 1996. He has been active in the Atlanta Santa Speedo Run for six years and served on the board as CFO for the last four years. Atlanta Santa Speedo Run has raised over $400,000 for various charities since Sean has been involved. He also enjoys spending time with his husband and family, as well as his two senior dogs.

Biography

Maggie is a Paralegal of the law firm Richardson Bloom & Lines LLC, where she provides support to members of the firm. Maggie graduated from Georgia State University, magna cum laude, with a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Philosophy. In 2009, she completed the Emory University Paralegal Certificate program and joined the firm in 2010. Maggie uses her considerable multitasking skills to maintain contact and support with her clients, draft correspondence and various complex pleadings for the attorneys’ review and edit, as well as file maintenance to keep clients’ cases well-organized and moving forward. A native of Atlanta, Maggie enjoys cycling the Beltline or the Silver Comet on the weekends, in addition to the vibrant nightlife and community events in her East Atlanta Village neighborhood. Maggie also helps raise money and rides in the Tour de Pink for young breast cancer survivors, the only breast cancer charity cycling event in Georgia.

Biography

Stephanie is a Paralegal of the law firm Richardson Bloom & Lines LLC, where she provides support to members of the firm. Stephanie joined RBL in 2006 as a receptionist and was later promoted to Legal Assistant in May 2009. In 2015, she was promoted to Paralegal. Stephanie graduated from Georgia State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Film and a minor in Photography. Stephanie brings creativity and client commitment to her position; skills she perfected in the film industry. She maintains files as well as drafts pleadings to ensure cases are well-organized and moving forward. When Stephanie is not hard at work, she can often be found outdoors with her beloved cocker spaniel, Hershey, or creating new works of art.

Biography

Harriet is the first person you meet or speak to when you reach out to Richardson Bloom & Lines. She joined the firm as our receptionist in May of 2015. She spent 25 years at Coca-Cola, working primarily in the areas of employee, corporate and executive communications. She puts the skills and cultural education she acquired there to use daily assisting the attorneys and other staff on special projects as well as welcoming clients to the office. When she is not here, Harriet enjoys spending time with family that includes Suki and Abby, her pound puppies; reading way too late into the night, watching NCIS when not reading, correcting grammar and typos, and shopping for intentionally mismatched earrings. She is a Bulldog all the way but attended many Thanksgiving freshman football games growing up so she is likely to cheer on Georgia Tech – when they are not playing her dawgs.