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Since 2000, Mr. Meriwether has focused seventy percent (70%) of his practice on family law and thirty percent (30%) on business law. Through time, he has found that family and business law complement each other well in practice, as his skills from one area transfer easily to the other. Business litigation cases tend to require fewer Court appearances, but the family law cases of Mr. Meriwether's practice has afforded him the opportunity to appear in Court more often and hone skills necessary both for family law and business litigation. Mr. Meriwether's business litigation and transactional work provide the experience and ability to examine and tirelessly move through financial documents, both for business cases, including personal and small businesses, as well as family law cases involving large marital estates in need of equitable division.

Mr. Meriwether utilizes the latest computer software to maintain detailed and comprehensive records of his complex cases. This software allows Mr. Meriwether and his clients to quickly access case information and ensures that no details of the case are overlooked.

Family Law

Mr. Meriwether handles a broad range of family law cases, including divorce, adoption, child custody and support modification, adoption, domestic violence, and premarital agreements. He regularly deals with marital assets ranging from those of little or even negative value to those worth millions of dollars, and competently calculates spousal and child support when applicable.

Mr. Meriwether has said, "In the Courtroom, we zealously represent our clients. But often, fierce litigation is not the best way to resolve a divorce, and we work to settle cases through active negotiation. A divorce can be the most life altering and stressful event anyone can go through, but it does not have to be." To help alleviate the stress often involved in family law cases, Mr. Meriwether takes a collaborative approach to family law. This approach involves utilizing negotiation and mediation to help maintain an amicable relationship between the parties. In cases with children, collaborative law protects the children above all else, creates a win/win situation for the parties, and the parties walk away as satisfied as possible.

In some family law cases, collaborative law will not work, or is inappropriate. Mr. Meriwether evaluates every case on an individual basis to determine how aggressive to approach the case based on the facts, the Court in which the case will be heard, and the Judge who will hear the case. The goal is to achieve the best possible outcome for an individual client. In Mr. Meriwether's experience, compared to a more subtle approach, a "take no prisoners" attitude often results in higher lawyer's fees without a corresponding increase in the achieved result. As such, Mr. Meriwether aims to provide the correct level of aggressiveness to each case for the best result possible.

Business Law

Mr. Meriwether handles a variety of business law cases including simple and complicated business formations, and business divorces. He routinely forms Limited Liability Companies and Corporations. In so doing, he often is asked to draft complex contracts to assist the new business entity with its operations. He also assists clients with the buying and selling of businesses (including the due diligence associated with this process).

Mr. Meriwether views business formations involving a group of friends or acquaintances as marriages, albeit financial ones, and he excels in spotting potential pitfalls when parties are entering into a business relationship. He works hard to ensure that his clients enter into their business ventures well-informed and protected from whatever business complications they may encounter.

Membership

State Bar of Georgia (Member of the Family Law and Business Law Sections)
The Florida Bar
American Bar Association (Member of the Family Law and Business Law Sections)

Admissions
1996, Georgia
1996, Florida

Speaking Engagements
LLC Trends and Developments by National Business Institute. Continuing Legal Education for fellow attorneys.

Arbitration
In 2007, Mr. Meriwether obtained his certification for arbitration. He is ready to arbitrate any Family Law issues and most Business Law matters.

Professional Experience - Mr. Meriwether was admitted to practice law in Florida and Georgia in 1996. In 1998, Patrick L. Meriwether left the Atlanta office of Arthur Anderson and joined Robert Tharp to establish Meriwether & Tharp. His position at Arthur Anderson involved providing tax advice to a variety of large corporations. Mr. Meriwether; however, missed the personal satisfaction that comes with running his own practice and assisting small businesses and individuals with their legal needs. This is where he felt that he could really make the biggest difference.

Community Experience - Mr. Meriwether volunteers time to teach Judo to both children and adults. He holds a Black Belt in Judo and, when he competed in law school, he was the Florida State Champion in his weight division two years in a row. At the 2007 Georgia State Games, he won the gold in his division.

I represent clients in the North Georgia area with their uncontested divorces for a low flat fee. I currently represent clients in in uncontested divorces in the following counties: Banks, Bartow, Catoosa, Chatooga, Cherokee, Cobb, Dade, Dawson, Fannin, Floyd, Franklin, Gilmer, Gordon,Habersham, Hall, Lumpkin, Muarry, Pickens, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union, Walker, White, and Whitfield.

A basic uncontested divorce without minor children is $250.00 and an uncontested divorces with minor children and one court appearance is $500.00. Since I am an attorney and not a paralegal or a document preparation service, I will represent you every step of the way until your divorce is finalized.

GEORGIA UNCONTESTED DIVORCE ONLINE. For your convenience, the whole process from the initial consultation, to reviewing the drafts, making any changes that might be requested by your spouse and all the way to getting your final documents can be done online or by telephone without you or your spouse ever having to come to my office.

If you and your spouse do not have minor children the news is even better because in uncontested cases without children where you are represented by an attorney you do not have to appear in court which means the whole process is basically done online, by telephone and via mail. However, in cases where there are minor children involved you will have to go to court for a short hearing so the Judge can review the child support and visitation agreements but I will be right there with you giving you support and answering any questions that the Judge might have.

I do not use paralegals or other support staff to prepare your documents, take your phone calls or respond to your emails and instead handle all aspects of your case personally. If you retain me instead of hiring a document preparation service or an online divorce mill that might have one attorney supervising 10 - 100 paralegals, you will actually get to speak with me one-on-one.

You are not alone and you do not have to try and do it yourself. Affordable help is just a phone call or email away.

Prior to attending law school, I served in the United States Army as an Infantry Officer. I served as a Rifle Platoon Leader, Mortar Platoon Leader, Instructor, Battalion Staff Officer and an Infantry Rifle Company Commander.

I began practicing law in Canton, Georgia in 1993. After obtaining a Master of Laws concentrating in litigation, I logged several thousand hours in the courtroom developing a practice in domestic relations, criminal law and commercial litigation. In 2007 I was certified as a mediator, using my years of courtroom experience coupled with alternative dispute resolution training to help people resolve complex issues without excessive unnecessary costs of litigation. Conversely, I am able to apply the tactics and techniques I learn as a mediator as a tool to more effectively advocate for my clients.

Josh Teaque is a multi-generational Ellijay native.
After graduating from Gilmer High School he received his Bachelor of Science with honors in Social Science Education from Kennesaw State University in 2006. Josh completed his studies at Florida Coastal School of Law where he received his Juris Doctorate in 2010 and graduated in the top 20% of his class.

While attending law school, Josh completed internships with Superior Court Chief Judge Brenda Weaver, Superior Court Judge Roger Bradley and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. While enrolled in law school, Josh received numerous honors including accolades for trial advocacy and criminal law. He was also coached in appellate advocacy by one of the top moot court instructors in the country.

Josh and his wife LeeAnn have one daughter. He currently serves as the choir director for Mount Vernon Baptist Church in Ellijay, Georgia, and enjoys spending time with his family. Josh also enjoys fishing and is an avid motorsports and muscle car enthusiast.