Family Law Attorney in Memphis

June 14, 2026

A family law attorney guides clients through divorce, child custody, support, alimony, and adoption, matters that carry both legal weight and lasting personal consequences, and hiring local counsel in Memphis offers practical advantages over a remote or national service. A Memphis attorney practices regularly before the Shelby County Circuit and Chancery Courts and the juvenile court, understands the procedures and expectations of the local bench, and can meet a client face to face to review financial disclosures, parenting schedules, and settlement terms. That working knowledge of how cases actually move through the courthouse where a matter will be decided often shapes both the approach and the result.

Memphis is Tennessee’s second-largest city, with a population of roughly 618,980 as of the 2024 American Community Survey (U.S. Census Bureau), and several of its firms practice across the state line into Mississippi and serve the surrounding Shelby, Tipton, and Fayette County communities. The market includes practices that focus on domestic relations alongside firms that pair family law with criminal defense, personal injury, or estate planning, which gives clients a range of options depending on the complexity of their matter.

Attorneys in Tennessee are licensed and regulated by the Tennessee Supreme Court under its inherent authority over the practice of law. The Board of Law Examiners, part of the judicial branch, handles admission and administers the Tennessee Bar Examination under Supreme Court Rules 6, 7, and 21, while the Board of Professional Responsibility oversees attorney discipline under Supreme Court Rule 9. Family law is governed by Tennessee statute. Grounds for divorce, including the no-fault ground of irreconcilable differences and thirteen fault-based grounds, appear in Tennessee Code Annotated 36-4-101, and a divorce generally cannot be heard until a complaint has been on file for at least 60 days when the couple has no minor children, or 90 days when they have an unmarried child under 18. Child support and alimony fall under TCA 36-5-101, and Tennessee calculates child support using an Income Shares Model under the Tennessee Child Support Guidelines (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1240-02-04), a program administered by the Tennessee Department of Human Services.

Family lawyers in Memphis typically handle divorce and legal separation, child custody and parenting plans, child support, alimony, division of property and business interests, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, paternity, adoption, and orders of protection. Before retaining counsel, a prospective client can verify a lawyer’s standing through the Board of Professional Responsibility, which maintains an Online Tennessee Attorney Directory at tbpr.org. That directory shows whether an attorney is active or suspended and reflects any public disciplinary history, while private reprimands remain confidential under Court Rule 9. Ethics or consumer complaints about an attorney are directed to the Board of Professional Responsibility rather than to the Division of Consumer Affairs, which handles most other businesses.

Top Family Law Attorney Providers in Memphis

1. Ballin, Ballin & Fishman, P.C.

Address: 200 Jefferson Avenue, Suite 1250, Memphis, TN 38103
Phone: 901-525-6278
Website: https://www.bbfpc.com
Services: divorce, alimony, child custody, child support, property distribution, post-judgment modifications
Description: Ballin, Ballin & Fishman is a long-established downtown Memphis firm that handles family law alongside criminal defense, personal injury, and business litigation. Its family law practice covers divorce, alimony, child custody, child support, property distribution, and post-judgment modifications. The firm’s roster of attorneys includes Blake D. Ballin, Leslie Ballin, Marvin Earl Ballin, Randall Fishman, John Timothy Edwards, Lynn Rowe, Andrew R. Carr Jr., and Richard S. Townley, and the firm states that it has helped individuals and families in Memphis and throughout Tennessee for years. Its Jefferson Avenue office sits in the heart of downtown, near the Shelby County courts.

2. Berry Cannon Crawford Macaw, PLLC

Address: 5050 Poplar Avenue, Suite 918, Memphis, TN 38157
Phone: 901-538-8900
Website: https://bccmlaw.com
Services: divorce, child custody, child support, alimony, paternity, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, domestic violence, mediation
Description: Berry Cannon Crawford Macaw is a Memphis firm concentrating on family law and domestic relations, with practice in both Tennessee and Mississippi circuit, chancery, and juvenile courts. The firm’s attorneys include Melissa C. Berry, Amy Harden Cannon, Michelle S. Crawford, Matthew R. Macaw, Georgia Moran, Rachel H. Karp, and Rebecca Bobo. Its practice areas span divorce, child custody and support, alimony, paternity, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, domestic violence matters, and mediation. The firm describes an approach built on honesty and integrity, open communication, and courtroom experience, and its office on Poplar Avenue serves clients across the Memphis metro and into neighboring Mississippi.

3. Butler, Sevier, Hinsley & Reid PLLC

Address: 530 Oak Court Drive, Suite 100, Memphis, TN 38117
Phone: (901) 578-8888
Website: https://www.bshrlaw.com
Services: divorce, marital property valuation and division, spousal and child support, custody, paternity, adoption, mediation, collaborative law, post-divorce modifications, orders of protection, wills and trusts, conservatorships, estate administration
Description: Butler, Sevier, Hinsley & Reid is a Memphis firm with a substantial family law practice that also handles estate and probate matters. Its attorneys include Lara E. Butler, Gail R. Sevier, Susan A. Hinsley, Margaret A. Reid, Anne Johnson, and Elizabeth W. Fyke, along with additional attorneys on staff. The firm’s family law work covers divorce, marital property valuation and division, spousal and child support, custody, paternity, and adoption, supported by mediation, collaborative law, post-divorce modifications, and orders of protection. Its lawyers participate in the Memphis Bar Association and its Family Law Section, and the firm serves clients in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas. Its office sits at 530 Oak Court Drive in the east Memphis business district.

Frequently Asked Questions About Family Law Attorney in Memphis

Q: How do I verify that a Memphis family law attorney is licensed and in good standing?

Tennessee attorneys are licensed by the Tennessee Supreme Court, and the Board of Professional Responsibility maintains an Online Tennessee Attorney Directory at tbpr.org where the public can confirm whether a lawyer is active or suspended and review any public disciplinary history. The Board of Law Examiners handles admission and the bar examination, while the Board of Professional Responsibility handles discipline under Supreme Court Rule 9. Checking the directory before signing an engagement letter is a sensible first step.

Q: What are the grounds for divorce in Tennessee?

Tennessee Code Annotated 36-4-101 sets out the grounds for divorce, which include the no-fault ground of irreconcilable differences as well as thirteen fault-based grounds such as adultery, habitual drunkenness, cruel and inhuman treatment, and abandonment. Couples seeking an uncontested divorce usually proceed on irreconcilable differences, while contested cases may involve one or more fault grounds. A family law attorney can explain which grounds apply to a given situation.

Q: How long does a divorce take to finalize in Memphis?

State law sets a minimum waiting period before a divorce can be heard. A divorce generally cannot be finalized until the complaint has been on file for at least 60 days when the couple has no minor children, or at least 90 days when there is an unmarried child under 18. These are minimums rather than typical timelines, and contested matters involving custody or property disputes often take longer to resolve in the Shelby County courts.

Q: How is child support calculated in Tennessee?

Child support is governed by Tennessee Code Annotated 36-5-101 and the Tennessee Child Support Guidelines (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1240-02-04), which use an Income Shares Model. That method combines both parents’ incomes to set a basic support obligation, then allocates each parent’s share in proportion to income while accounting for parenting time and certain expenses. The Tennessee Department of Human Services administers the state’s child support program.

Q: Can a Memphis attorney handle a divorce that crosses into Mississippi or Arkansas?

Memphis sits near the Mississippi and Arkansas lines, and several Memphis firms practice in more than one state, with attorneys licensed accordingly. A lawyer must be admitted in the state where a case is filed, so cross-border family matters may involve attorneys licensed in Tennessee and a neighboring state. Confirming where each spouse resides and where jurisdiction lies is an early step a family law attorney can address.

Q: How do I file a complaint against a family law attorney in Tennessee?

Ethics complaints about a Tennessee attorney are directed to the Board of Professional Responsibility, which investigates and acts on disciplinary matters under Supreme Court Rule 9, rather than to the Division of Consumer Affairs that handles most consumer disputes. Only public discipline is disclosed in the attorney directory; private reprimands and admonitions remain confidential. Keeping copies of the engagement agreement, billing records, and relevant correspondence supports any complaint.