Founded in 1988, Stearns-Montgomery & Proctor is a distinguished family and divorce law firm serving the metro Atlanta and Savannah areas. With a team of excellent attorneys, we specialize in providing comprehensive legal services in various areas of family and divorce law, including child support, child custody, alimony, spousal support, paternity and father's rights, adoption, high asset divorce, contested divorce, and legal separation. Our firm is dedicated to guiding clients through the complexities of these matters with skill and compassion. At Stearns-Montgomery & Proctor, we understand the sensitive nature of family law issues and strive to achieve favorable outcomes for our clients while upholding the highest standards of professionalism and integrity.
When we get to work on your behalf, you'll benefit from:
We've practiced law since 1988. Because of our many years of experience and involvement in the legal community, we know the courts, judges, and opposing attorneys. We know the system, we know the players, and we know what to expect for your case.
Our attorneys focus and specialize in divorce and family law, which means we introduce you to the right attorneys to fit your specific needs.
While you may work primarily with an individual attorney, you benefit from our entire team's knowledge. We regularly share information, learn from one another, and pass on that knowledge to you while working on your case.
We'll take and answer your calls. You will hear from a person, not an automated reply, when you reach out to us.
One size does not fit all. We have deep expertise in non-litigious court alternatives such as collaborative law and mediation that may lower your legal costs and the stress of figuring out child custody while still meeting your goals.
While we may encourage negotiation and creative solutions early on in the process, we're still ready for hard-hitting, complex litigation when necessary. We will fight hard on your behalf.
Stearns-Montgomery & Proctor (SM&P) is proud to announce that five of our outstanding attorneys have been recognized as 2025 Georgia Super Lawyers and Rising Stars, a prestigious honor reserved for those who consistently demonstrate excellence in the legal profession. This year, Partners Ryan Proctor and Melanie Prehodka, along with Senior…
Cobb Legal Aid and the Cobb Women of the Bar Section recently held their 15th annual Women in Service Luncheon at Mac’s Chophouse on the Square in Marietta, Georgia with close to 40 attendees. As a sponsor, Stearns-Montgomery & Proctor was honored to support and attend this annual event. The…
Each year, Georgia Trend seeks to feature the state’s top attorneys. They ask those who know them best – their legal peers – to submit nominations and from their nominations a list is compiled of the Legal Elite. This year marks the more than 20 years lawyers from all over…
If you are in need of legal service, you have found the right team. Ryan Proctor, Kristin Proud and the team at Stearns-Montgomery & Proctor were incredible to work with. Professional, knowledgable, and very dedicated to my case. Not only did they help me reach an incredible outcome, but Ryan skillfully guided me through the process and was able to clearly communicate each step. I was able to finalize my case with peace and success. I would highly recommend this team to anyone in need of legal service.
Stearns-Montgomery & Proctor Law Firm is top notch. Ryan Proctor is as great of a lawyer as they come. Not only does he possess massive amounts of knowledge, dedication and willingness to go above and beyond for his clients. He genuinely cares for his clients. He is very easy to work with, talk to and share things with. It is easy to see why he is one of the best Lawyers in Georgia. Kristen his paralegal is the exact same way. She doesn’t miss a thing. Her abilities are endless and she makes everything seem so easy and comfortable. Najah the accountant was always on point letting me know where I stand financially. I was never out of the loop with this Firm. Rounding off the team is attorney Nauman Siddique with his attention to detail and hands on approach. It was a long 17 month situation. I just don’t have enough words to ever say thank you. If I ever need a Lawyer again.. This is who I will gladly pick.
I’m fortunate to have worked with Ryan Proctor and Kristen Proud on my divorce case. Ryan is extremely personable, always communicated very well. I highly recommend Ryan, his team, and this firm. Thank you, Ryan!
Attorney (Ryan) Proctor is simply the best. Not only is he knowledgeable, he and his team took the time to educate me every step of the way. I was treated with dignity and respect every step of the way. If there was ever a change that needed to happen, I was notified promptly and given options. Every email and phone call I sent was responded to in a timely manner. I was blessed to have Attorney Proctor and his team work with me. I could not have asked for better representation in court. He and his team truly went above and beyond my child and I and I’m forever grateful.
Ryan considered me as a person, not just another case. I can’t thank this team enough.
We were very pleased with Judy and staff. They were always very responsive when I emailed with a question. We are so thankful for the help so my husband could adopt my daughter . They handled everything and that made the process less stressful. We would both recommend Judy and the law firm . 10/10
This law firm was amazing my wife and I never felt like we did not know what was going on Judy and her team worked from the first call and kept us up to date on everything if we ever have any legal issues again I know I can go to them and trust they will work hard for us and never give us broke promises I recommend this law firm to anyone
I cannot express enough, the gratitude I have for Attorney Judy Sartain and her amazing team at Stearns-Montgomery & Proctor Law Firm.
I recently adopted two of my grandchildren after having custody of them since July 2019.
I originally retained the same attorney who handled the custody case to do the same for my adoption case. Big mistake! The law firm he worked for began transitioning to personal injury law and my case got put on the back burner for 2 months. I decided to let him go and just hope for the best for my grandchildren. However, I could not let that happen. I went to the internet and found Attorney Judy Sartain, who had an impressive 900 adoptions to her credit, at that time. She now has over 1000 adoptions!
During the initial consultation, I knew, without a doubt, that Judy Sartain was the attorney I absolutely had to have. She was open, honest and passionate about getting this adoption taken care of. She was a “bulldog” and that’s what I needed. I retained her and she and her team got the job done. I knew upfront what was expected of me and what I could expect from her. No surprises!
Please take it from me…Don’t let the cheaper attorneys fool you. You get what you pay for. With Attorney Judy Sartain, you get “the best.”
We searched for a family attorney for 2 months that we felt would do a good job working for us with no luck until we found this law firm. Our initial consultation with Judy was very informative! We knew we found an attorney who would work hard for us. Judy, Kristi (Paralegal) and Brittni (financial services) kept us abreast of every step and detail. Judy was very hands on and provided detail responses to our questions via email. Our day in court confirmed we hired the right attorney when Judge Miller acknowledged the thorough work Judy did on our behalf. If you’re on the fence, don’t be! Hire Judy, she will fight for you!
10 Stars for Judy!
Thank you from Michael and Dr. Christina Ross
I came across Lily and her team through a google search when I was entering into a child custody case. New to the state, lost in the system and under very stressful conditions, Lily assessed my situation and broke down all my options in layman’s terms. She was extremely knowledgeable and could tell she would be the best advocate for me and my son. After interviewing several other attorneys i knew Lily was who I wanted to represent me.
I’m so glad I did! She showed up at every meeting and hearing much better prepared than opposing counsel, fought tooth and nail for each detail in my favor, and helped get me a favorable ruling when it was all said and done. I highly recommend Lily and her team at Stearns-Montgomery & Proctor – they are the best!
Ms. Anne Thompson and her team were absolutely wonderful to work with. They made it easy to communicate and maintain pertinent documents through their online system of record. Ms. Thompson was very responsive and ensured we had a solid plan prior to going into our hearing. Pricing is fair compared to other attorneys I’ve worked with. Highly recommend!
I went through a very tumultuous time in navigating through my divorce, and Lillian and her team advocated for me in such a way that took off a load of stress. Had I not hired them, I’m not sure where I’d be in the process. I’m grateful for their hard work, and dedication with my case.
Melanie and her team of professionals provided outstanding service for my legal needs! The attention to detail and walking me through a very challenging experience step-by-step was highly appreciated! All my questions were answered in full in a VERY timely manner. Thank you!
Dominic and Harolyn were pleasant to work with. They supported me and my needs during the whole process, they gave me clarity and guidance. The firm was very dedicated to get my best interest from the first step to the last.
Najah was very attentive and supportive with all my questions and requests.
I will highly recommend Stearns-Montgomery & Proctor to anyone that needs a trustworthy law office.
Sterns-Montgomery & Proctor is a wonderful and professional service. They treated my son with the upmost respect and helped him during his divorce. Sterns-Montgomery & Proctor (Kimbley Puckett) was very supportive of the situation and handle it with care and boldness. I believe Sterns -Montgomery & Proctor did a wonderful job. Thank you and GOD bless!!!
I had nothing less than an awesome experience with Stearns-Montgomery and Proctor Law firm. Atty. Dominic Jones was amazing! He’s very and knowledgeable in what he does! He and his team were very nice, patient, and timely in all that they do. I would definitely recommend services and would work with them again if I had to in the future!
“Randy provided excellent guidance with a personal approach during my divorce. He listened to my needs and used his professional experience to…bring my case to a good close!”
“Randy provided us with great legal guidance/advice during a very difficult situation…”
“…I highly recommend Randy and his team to anyone seeking a divorce”
“If you are looking for a firm who is responsive, communicates and cares, this is the one! Ryan Proctor is supportive, easy to talk to, and works hard for you. Can’t say enough about their professionalism!”
“Ms. Webre (Prehodka) is professional, thorough and compassionate to her clients… We are thankful for the supreme service, she gave us.”
” Randy went over the possibilities of my case and explained in detail what to expect and how to go about it….Randy is extremely professional and his experience demonstrated his ability to win cases… “
” During the most difficult time in my life, Randy was a calming voice during a bunch of madness…in the end, it was the best outcome and I have moved on to a better life. Many thanks “
” …Melanie Webre (Prehodka) and her team were very professional and made me feel comfortable from the start … I would recommend ANYONE, if you want to see results! “
” ..thank you to the amazing set of lawyers, paralegals and staff that dedicated their time and energy to helping my brother. Each person went to bat so strongly, emotionally and passionately for my brother and his children. “
” This is a tremendously caring and skilled firm… “
” Everyone I’ve met from the clerical staff, bookkeepers to the paralegals wants to ensure your questions are answered to the best of their ability – and if they don’t know, they will be expedient in finding out the answer. “
” They know their stuff PERIOD. “
” …a close-knit, family environment, and the lawyers care about your personal issues. “
Ryan Proctor guided me through the process and treated my case as if I was a part of his family. …when I was really down and not handling the stress instinctively, Ryan would call on me to see how I was doing. “
” Randy was amazing during a very difficult divorce. He was just as much a counselor as he was my attorney. Very Calming and level headed…very conscientious about not spending unnecessary time and money on the case. “
” Thank you so much Ms. Webre (Prehodka) for making this nightmare go away. You not only brought great emotional comfort to me from the first time you walked in that courtroom, but I also knew I was in good hands legally… “
” Randy’s experience with, and knowledge of Georgia divorce law helped me understand my legal rights and what my options were to either settle, mediate, or go to court… “
” Randy is highly skilled, compassionate and very thorough. He’s just a great attorney! He and his team were professional and extremely knowledgeable. “
