About the Firm
A Georgia Trial Lawyer Who Has Tried These Cases From Both Sides
Attorney Kip Shepherd has practiced Georgia law for more than 30 years. He began his career as a prosecutor, and today he represents people in Athens, Watkinsville, Lawrenceville and the surrounding counties in divorce, family law, criminal defense, DUI, auto accidents, personal injury and trial practice.
If you are reading this page, you are probably trying to decide whether you need a lawyer at all, or whether the one you already have is doing the job. So here is the honest version: who handles your case, how the office works, and what you should expect if you hire us. Everything the firm handles is described on the legal services page.
The short answer is that you will work directly with Kip Shepherd, you will get a straight assessment of your case instead of a sales pitch, and you will know what the work costs before it begins.
What You Should Expect From Representation
Most people who walk into this office have never hired a lawyer before. They are frightened, they have heard a dozen opinions from friends and family, and nobody has explained what happens next. The first job is to replace that noise with information.
You should expect four things from any lawyer you hire, including this one:
- Direct access to the attorney handling your case, not a call center or a rotating case manager
- Straight answers, including the ones you would rather not hear
- Realistic expectations about outcomes, timelines and what the evidence will actually support
- Fees explained in writing before any work begins, so there are no surprise bills
That last point matters more than most people expect. In many family law matters the firm can quote a flat fee, so you know the entire cost of a defined piece of work. Contested litigation is usually billed by the hour, because the amount of work depends on what the other side does. Personal injury claims are typically handled on a contingency basis, so nothing is owed while you are recovering and the fee comes out of any recovery.
How Being a Former Prosecutor Shapes Case Preparation
Kip Shepherd spent the early part of his career prosecuting cases for the State of Georgia. That background is not a marketing line. It changes what he looks for in a file. A prosecutor learns to build a case from the inside out: what the officer actually wrote in the report, what the witnesses can truthfully say, what the testing shows, what the State can prove beyond a reasonable doubt, and which charges a district attorney’s office is willing to reduce or dismiss.
Having done that work, he reads a citation, an accusation or an arrest warrant differently than a lawyer who has only ever defended. Charges get measured against what the State can actually prove, and stops, searches and testing procedures get examined closely, because those are the places where criminal and DUI cases are most often weakest.
In practice, that means:
- Citations, warrants and reports reviewed for defects before the first court date, not after
- Discovery requested and read early, so strategy is built on evidence instead of assumptions
- Field sobriety testing, breath and blood procedures and the traffic stop itself examined in every DUI case
- Every file prepared as though it will be tried in front of a jury, because that preparation is what creates leverage in negotiation
Defense work also means knowing when not to fight. Sometimes the best available result is a diversion program, a reduction to a lesser offense, or a negotiated resolution that protects a license and a record. That advice only makes sense from a lawyer who understands what the other side is likely to do with your case.
Two Offices, Seven Counties, One Standard of Practice
The firm keeps offices in Watkinsville, just outside Athens, and in Lawrenceville in Gwinnett County. Between them they cover Athens-Clarke, Oconee, Gwinnett, Barrow, Walton, Jackson and Hall counties, and appear in Superior, State, Magistrate, Probate and Municipal courts.
Which courthouse matters depends on the case. Divorces and felony charges are heard in Superior Court. Misdemeanor charges, small claims and arrest warrants are commonly handled in State and Magistrate courts. Probate Court handles estates, guardianships and name changes, and Juvenile Court handles dependency matters involving children. The Georgia law behind those cases is specific and public: divorce and alimony under OCGA § 19-6-1 et seq., custody under OCGA § 19-9-3, DUI under OCGA § 40-6-391 with its 30-day deadline to request an administrative license hearing under OCGA § 40-5-67.1, hit and run under OCGA § 40-6-270, and negligence claims under OCGA § 51-1-6 and the comparative fault rule in OCGA § 51-12-33.
Where you meet is your choice. Clients from Athens, Watkinsville and Oconee County usually come to the Watkinsville office, and clients in Lawrenceville, Duluth, Suwanee and Dacula usually meet in Lawrenceville. If driving to either office is a problem, ask about meeting by phone or video. The cities and counties the firm serves are listed on the locations we service page.
How We Work
Every case is different, but the process is predictable. This is what working with the office looks like.
- Free consultation. You sit down with Kip, explain what happened and bring whatever paperwork you have. Nothing is charged for that meeting, and you are not pressured to hire anyone.
- An honest assessment. You leave knowing whether you have a case, what the realistic range of outcomes is, and what the process would cost.
- A written agreement. If you decide to hire the firm, the scope of the work and the fee are put in writing before anything else happens.
- Investigation and preparation. Records are gathered, discovery is requested, witnesses are identified, and the file is built as though it will be tried.
- Strategy and communication. You are told the plan, the risks and the decisions that are yours to make, and you are updated as the case moves.
- Resolution. Some cases settle, some are dismissed, and some go to a jury. Whichever path your case takes, you will understand why.
What Clients Say About the Experience
Past clients tend to describe the same two things: that they finally understood what was happening in their own case, and that they were not handed off to someone else. You can read those accounts on the testimonials page.
If you have questions before you call, the frequently asked questions page answers the ones we hear most: what a consultation costs, how long a case takes, what happens after a DUI arrest, and what to bring to a first meeting.
Talk to Attorney Kip Shepherd
Consultations are free, and you will speak with the attorney who would handle your case. Call the office or send a message, and you will get a straight answer about where you stand.