“We have the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives.”
These are the watchwords for the Law Offices of Margaret Gettle Washburn, P.C.
Ms. Washburn started her firm on the square in downtown Lawrenceville in 1983. Encouraged by attorneys she had met as a Fulton County staff attorney and DeKalb County assistant solicitor, Ms. Washburn left the DeKalb Solicitor’s office and moved to Lawrenceville, the county seat of “Growing Gwinnett.” She rented an office from Bob Mock, now State Court Senior Judge Robert Mock, in an old house, formerly a funeral home, across the street from the historic Gwinnett County Courthouse.
“It was interesting when I was working late in the evenings, to say the least,” she recalls, but Ms. Washburn, a graduate of Emory Law School and an honor graduate of Oglethorpe University was not afraid of ghosts.
Ms. Washburn says, “It was hard to run a law practice and raise two small children, but I just had to keep opening doors and making progress.” Her hard work and dedication were soon recognized by the local and legal community. She was appointed as the Chief Judge for the City of Duluth Municipal Court in 1985 and was elected as President of the Gwinnett County Bar Association in 1994.
Ms. Washburn and the firm’s attorneys, which include her son, Houston Washburn, and Scott Mitchell, focus on domestic and family law, personal injury, estate planning and probate, and criminal defense. The attorneys average over 100 trials and hearings and approximately 35 mediations per year. Focusing on jury trials, Houston has won acquittals for his clients and monetary awards for his injured clients trials this year.
“We feel privileged to represent families and small businesses in our community. We apply the latest technology and innovative legal solutions with an old-school approach to client service and representation,” says Ms. Washburn.
“Our team has the skills and experience needed to address the issues facing Gwinnett’s population. Our paralegals, Nancy, Cherie and Pam, are dedicated to addressing their clients’ needs and provide them just good old-fashioned attention.”
Ms. Washburn has seen many changes in Gwinnett County, the Courts, and the legal matters and problems facing her clients over the past 35 years, as Gwinnett has grown from a population of 167,000 in 1983 to an estimated population of 900,000 today.
The Courts have confidence in her firm and the attorneys are often appointed to serve as Guardians ad Litem for children in domestic cases. She also has the unique perspective of 30 years of experience on the bench. She currently sits as the Chief Judge for the City of Sugar Hill, Duluth Municipal Court Associate Judge and Associate Judge for the City of Berkeley Lake. She shares that insight and expertise with her team and her clients.
“We have the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives. The actions we take on their behalf affect their families, their finances, and in some cases, their freedom. We take the trust they’ve placed in us very seriously,” she says. “A client’s best interest always comes first.”
To schedule a consultation, call 770-963-1105 or visit www.WashburnLawOffices.com.
Margaret Gettle Washburn, PC
4799 Sugarloaf Parkway · Building J
Lawrenceville GA 30044
