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The Stern Edlin Graham Story

Family Law Attorneys with Decades of Proven Success

For more than four decades, Stern Edlin Graham has represented clients in complex divorce and custody matters across Georgia. The history of Stern Edlin Graham reflects steady advocacy, careful preparation, and financial understanding in demanding cases.

As an Atlanta family law firm focused exclusively on family law, we guide clients through significant transitions with clarity and professionalism.
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Our Approach

We listen carefully, analyze thoroughly, and develop strategy grounded in Georgia law. As a divorce litigation firm, we handle substantial estates and contested custody matters with disciplined preparation.
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Our Commitment

Every client receives direct access to experienced family law attorneys and personalized attention throughout the process. Our reputation as a trusted family law firm is built on consistency and integrity.
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Master Negotiators & Litigators

Compassionate Advisors

We bring focused experience to every matter we handle as skilled negotiators and expert litigators serving clients in complex divorce and custody disputes.
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Expertise

Litigation

As a family law litigation firm, we are prepared to advocate in court when necessary. Our experienced family law attorneys approach each case with careful preparation and strategic focus.
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Service

Personalized Attention

Each client receives direct access to counsel who understands the details of their case. We prioritize communication, clarity, and steady guidance throughout the process.
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Knowledge

Atlanta’s Family Law Landscape

We understand the local courts, judges, and procedural dynamics that influence complex family law matters. That familiarity strengthens strategy and preparation in every case.

Results That Speak for Themselves

Complex family law matters require more than legal knowledge. They demand preparation, financial understanding, and the ability to manage high-stakes situations with discipline and clarity. 

Our attorneys have represented clients in matters involving substantial assets, closely held businesses, and contested custody disputes. Each case is approached with careful analysis, structured strategy, and a focus on protecting long-term interests. 

Clients rely on our experience in navigating sophisticated legal and financial issues, as well as our ability to manage cases efficiently while maintaining professionalism at every stage. 

  • Decades of Experience 
    Our attorneys bring years of focused family law practice handling complex divorce and custody matters across Georgia.
  • High-Stakes Matters Managed 
    We have represented clients in cases involving significant financial structures, business interests, and sensitive custody disputes.
  • Disciplined Legal Strategy
    Every matter is approached with preparation, organization, and a clear understanding of both legal and financial considerations.
Stern Edlin Graham Attorneys

Dedicated Counsel from an Atlanta Divorce Lawyer

Our experienced family law attorneys are committed to protecting your interests in complex divorce and custody matters. As an Atlanta family law firm focused exclusively on family law litigation, we provide disciplined advocacy grounded in preparation, financial understanding, and respect for the personal nature of every case.
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Carla Stern

PARTNER
Carla represents clients in high net worth divorce and complex custody disputes.
Portrait of Gary Graham, attorney at Stern Edlin Graham

Gary Graham

PARTNER
Gary handles intricate divorce litigation including complex custody matters and business valuation disputes.
Portrait of Erik Chambers, attorney at Stern Edlin Graham

Erik Chambers

PARTNER
Erik represents clients in high-asset divorce cases and contested custody matters and serves as a Guardian Ad Litem.
Stern Edlin Graham Team

Our Support Staff

Skilled professionals who ensure smooth operations and attentive client service throughout every stage of your matter.
Maya Klapper
Law Clerk

Maya Klapper joined Stern Edlin Graham Family Law as a Law Clerk following her graduation from the Emory University School of Law in 2026. In this role, she provides essential litigation support and case preparation for the firm’s complex family law and domestic relations matters.

During her time at Emory Law, Maya developed a strong foundation in family law and child welfare. She was heavily involved in the university’s child advocacy program and gained critical courtroom insight serving as an extern for the juvenile public defender. These experiences allowed her to build advanced legal research skills and a nuanced understanding of the unique challenges families face when navigating the legal system.

As a Law Clerk, Maya works closely with the firm’s senior attorneys to draft legal pleadings, conduct detailed case analysis, and support client communications. Her background in child advocacy brings a valuable perspective to the firm’s custody and parenting matters, ensuring that the needs of children remain a primary focus in case preparation.

Dedicated to professional excellence, Maya focuses on maintaining clear communication, meticulous organization, and a highly responsive approach to client needs. Her day-to-day work ensures that cases move forward efficiently while she prepares for her upcoming admission to the State Bar of Georgia.

Jennifer Ellis

Jennifer Ellis

Firm Administrator
Jennifer Ellis
Firm Administrator

Jennifer Ellis serves as Firm Administrator at Stern Edlin Graham, where she oversees the day-to-day operations that keep the firm running with efficiency, precision, and professionalism. From case management and compliance to client coordination and staff support, Jennifer ensures that attorneys can focus on delivering the caliber of representation the firm is known for.

Jennifer brings a broad and accomplished background in operations, management, and organizational development across the legal, healthcare, and wellness industries. Before joining the firm, she spent nearly five years as a Firm Director at a boutique legal practice, where she managed administrative operations and directed support staff. Her earlier career includes roles in office management, marketing, and client services – experience that gave her a strong command of both the operational and client-facing dimensions of professional services.

She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Leadership from the University of West Georgia and combines her management expertise with a genuine commitment to the clients and team she supports every day.

Cassie Cantrell
Paralegal

Cassie Cantrell has worked as a paralegal since 2021, bringing years of experience to her role at Stern Edlin Graham, where she supports the firm’s attorneys with the preparation, precision, and professionalism that complex legal matters demand.

Cassie holds a Certified Paralegal designation from the University of Georgia and has completed elite specialist training for family law support staff through the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers – a credential that reflects both her commitment to the field and her depth of understanding in family law practice. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Valdosta State University, a foundation that informs her ability to approach sensitive client matters with both analytical clarity and genuine empathy.

Before joining the firm, Cassie served as a Paralegal at a well-regarded Marietta-based law firm for two years, and prior to that gained litigation experience at an Atlanta personal injury practice. Her earlier career in social services – including case management work with the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services – further shaped her understanding of family dynamics, advocacy, and the human stakes involved in legal proceedings.

At Stern Edlin Graham, Cassie applies that broad experience to support clients and attorneys at every stage of the process, with care, discretion, and a steady commitment to getting it right.

Lisa Alloway
Paralegal

Having worked as a paralegal since 2005, Lisa Alloway brings decades of experience to her role as Senior Paralegal at Stern Edlin Graham, where she supports the firm’s attorneys with precision, professionalism, and a deep familiarity with the demands of family law practice.

Before joining the firm, Lisa spent two years as a Senior Paralegal at a prominent divorce and family law practice in Roswell, Georgia, where she developed a strong command of complex family law matters. Prior to that, she served as a Paralegal at two well-regarded Atlanta-area firms, building experience across legal research, document preparation, case management, and client support.

Her background reflects a consistent commitment to the kind of careful, detail-driven work that complex family law cases require. At Stern Edlin Graham, Lisa applies that experience to support clients and attorneys alike through every stage of the legal process – with steadiness, discretion, and care.

Zoe Carageannis
Paralegal

Zoe Carageannis brings a detail-oriented and client-focused approach to her role as Family Law Paralegal at Stern Edlin Graham. She supports the firm’s attorneys across all stages of a matter, including discovery, legal research, document preparation, filing, and case management — ensuring that every file is handled with accuracy and care.

Zoe holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice, a foundation that informs both her understanding of legal process and her instinct for careful, thorough case support. Before joining the firm, she gained experience as a Legal Assistant and Law Clerk in Birmingham, Alabama, where she assisted attorneys with trial preparation, depositions, motions, and discovery across family law and civil matters. Her earlier work as a Victim Advocate Assistant with the City of Wichita further shaped her understanding of how the legal process affects real people at some of the most difficult moments in their lives.

Darshan Pappu
Legal Assistant

Darshan Pappu brings a focused and client-centered approach to his role as Family Law legal assistant at Stern Edlin Graham, supporting attorneys with case management, legal research, and the careful preparation that complex family law matters demand.

Darshan brings several years of dedicated family law experience to the firm, having previously served as a Family Law Paralegal at a well-regarded DeKalb County practice, and prior to that as a Legal Assistant at a Fulton County family law firm. That foundation – built entirely within family law – means he arrives with a strong understanding of the procedural, documentary, and client-facing dimensions of the work from day one.

He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Business and Commerce from Bob Jones University, a background that complements his legal experience with a disciplined, organized approach to complex matters.

Tonya Moore
Receptionist

Tonya is a skilled professionals who ensure smooth operations and attentive client service throughout every stage of your matter.

Stern EDLIN GRaham Attorneys

Awards and Experience

Selecting counsel in a significant family law case is rarely a casual decision. Our clients often arrive through referral. They seek representation that reflects the seriousness of their circumstances. 

Decades of Experience

Our attorneys bring decades of concentrated family law litigation experience. That experience informs judgment – when to negotiate, when to press forward, and how to prepare a case that withstands scrutiny.

Responsive & Prepared

When custody and visitation matters arise, preparation and responsiveness are not optional – they are essential. At Stern Edlin Graham, we move quickly and deliberately, ensuring that your legal position is clearly established and strategically supported from the outset. Whether you are navigating an initial custody determination or responding to an unexpected filing, our team stands ready to act with both urgency and precision.

Protecting parental rights requires more than courtroom advocacy. It requires a thorough understanding of your family’s circumstances, a clear-eyed assessment of the legal landscape, and a strategy built around the best interests of your children. We work closely with each client to develop parenting arrangements that are legally sound, practically workable, and designed to support long-term stability for the entire family.

In divorce, financial preparation is not optional – it is critical. We move quickly to assemble a complete and accurate financial picture, allowing us to respond in real time to developments, positions, and deadlines. Our approach is proactive, detail-oriented, and strategically focused, ensuring you are not reacting to your case, but staying ahead of it.

Family Law Awards

  • Super Lawyers 2026
  • Atlanta’s Best Lawyers 2026

Partner Emeritus

Shiel G. Edlin co-founded what would become Stern Edlin Graham Family Law, P.C. in the early 1980s alongside George Stern – building over four decades what is now one of Atlanta’s most respected family law practices.


Over the course of his career, Shiel became one of the most sought-after family law attorneys in the country, representing executives, business owners, professionals, athletes, and public figures in complex divorce and family law matters. His reputation was built not only on courtroom skill, but on an ability to bring financial clarity and strategic precision to matters that others found intractable – a product of his accounting background and the experience of having tried hundreds of cases over more than thirty years.

Shiel has been recognized among the Best Lawyers in America and named a Georgia Super Lawyer by Atlanta Magazine since the designation’s inception. He was named a Diplomat of the American College of Family Trial Lawyers – one of only 100 such designees in the nation – and a Fellow of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, the preeminent recognition for family law attorneys worldwide.

His peers honored him with leadership of both the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia and the Family Law Section of the Atlanta Bar Association. He has been invited to speak before the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Georgia, the Atlanta Bar Association, and Georgia State University School of Law.

Shiel’s legacy is reflected in the firm he helped build and the standard of practice he established – one that continues to define how Stern Edlin Graham serves its clients today.

Award plaques and trophies displayed on a shelf, including Super Lawyers and Best Family Lawyers recognitions
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