Melody Swilling

Founding Partner & Family Attorney

Melody has years of experience in family law assisting countless area families with skillful legal representation, but it’s helping those with unique family needs that brings out her true passion. Her successes helping diverse families of all makeups is extensive, including those seeking complex adoptions, same-sex couples facing real obstacles under Georgia law, clients needing high asset divorce litigation and those going through the appeals process through the Georgia Court of Appeals and Supreme Court of Georgia. Melody’s practical and empathetic guidance helps families navigate the complex divorce and custody process, and her extensive exposure in the North Metro Atlanta counties gives her clients an advantage in many different types of family law cases.

After practicing in bankruptcy for two years at a mid-sized law firm in Atlanta, Melody wanted to concentrate on helping families in litigation and expanded her practice to family law in 2010. Shortly thereafter, Melody joined a mid-sized law firm concentrating in family law litigation in 2013 and moved her practice – Swilling Family Law – to Alpharetta in 2020 to concentrate on more complex family law litigation.

As a mother of two young boys, Melody understands the strains of children and their special needs. When she is not training for her next marathon or cheering her sons on the baseball diamond, you can find Melody actively volunteering with iCanShine to give children with special needs, especially autism, the independence and skill set to ride a bike.

Education

• Florida Coastal School of Law, Jacksonville, Florida
  • Juris Doctor – 2008
• University of Georgia
  • Bachelor of Arts in Spanish – 2005

Bar Admission

• Georgia
• Georgia Court of Appeals
• Supreme Court of Georgia
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Georgia

Professional Associations

• Cobb County Bar Association, Family Law Section, Secretary
• Forsyth County Bar Association
• Gwinnett County Bar Association
• Atlanta Bar Association, Editorial Board
• Amicable Divorce Network, Member
• Certified Amicable Divorce Professional with a specialty in Special Needs Children
• Parent Coordinator

Published Works and Presentations

• Find Good Trouble this November: Reflections on John Lewis and the Voting Rights Act, The Atlanta Lawyer, Aug/Sept, 2020
• My Income Got COVID – How Child Support and Income are Affected in a Pandemic, DivorceTown
• CLE Presenter at OTPCLE September CLE on Equitable Caregiver Statute
• CLE Presenter at OTPCLE Family Law Foundations on Common Financial/investment accounts

Volunteer Activities

• iCan Shine – iCan Bike Program

Honors

• Georgia Trend’s Legal Elite in Family Law, 2018, 2022
• Best of North Atlanta – Runner Up, Appen Media Group, 2020
• Swilling Family Law won Best of North Atlanta 2021, 2022
• Melody was a Rising Stars for Super Lawyers in 2021, 2022