Family Law Section • Bench Information

Division 10: Judge Tangela Barrie

Administrative

Contact information for the staff (phone numbers, emails, fax)

Bethaney Embry, Staff Attorney, 404-371-2933, bembry@dekalbcountyga.gov
Jill Baltimore, Calendar Clerk, 404-3712489, jbaltimore@dekalbcountyga.gov
Erica Nowells, Judicial Assistant, 404-371-2338, enowells@dekalbcountyga.gov

Fax accepted? Generally, no faxes are accepted. Anything that needs to be sent in an emergency situation should be scanned and emailed to someone in the office.

Email accepted? Yes
If yes, limited to what type of communications?
Phone conferences – disputes, pre-trial

Contempt Hearings
Rule Nisi issued – how?
Rule Nisi calendar dates issued when party has already filed his/her petition for contempt and the opposite party has already been served with the petition for contempt.

Temporary Hearings/Emergency Hearings
Hold Temporary Hearings? Yes. However, it depends upon the circumstances of each case. The Court will determine whether the matter is an emergency after reviewing the emergency pleading and other pleadings in the file.

If yes, how requested and scheduled? All emergency matters will be scheduled in accordance with the Court’s master calendar. Otherwise emergency matters will be referred to the presiding Judge

Domestic Violence Issues
Magistrate utilized to hear? Yes.

MFJOP
Accept with No children? Yes.
Accept with Children? Yes.
We do not accept MFJOP in cases where the Defendant has been served by publication.

Mediation
How order parties to mediation? (i.e. submit request or automatically referred when the case is assigned to the Division?)
Parties may submit request for mediation. The Court recommends mediation for all domestic cases

Discovery Disputes
How to submit - Motion (proper) or accept letter brief?
All discovery disputes must be submitted in the form of a motion.

Phone conference to resolve the dispute, and if so how set?
Phone conferences may be utilized only in extreme circumstances. Generally, all discovery disputes are handled on the Court’s Motions calendar.

Hearing to resolve the dispute? If so, how set?
Yes, it is placed on the next available Motions calendar.
   

Pre-Trial
Pre-Trial Orders Required for:
Bench Trial? Yes.
Jury Trial? Yes.

What form required?
The pre-trial order form set forth in the Uniform Superior Court Rules.
If not use the Superior Court Form -- what information want prior to trial?

Pre-Trial Conferences /Status Conferences – how request, letter (informal) or Motion?
By letter or motion.

Final Hearings
How scheduled?
When a final hearing request is received or when it appears to the Court that the case has all of the required documents.

If uncontested – When set?
On the next available uncontested calendar.

How requested?
Mail-in request only.

GAL
How Appointed?
Use DVLF: In some cases.
By Agreement of counsel: Yes.
Judge List: Most of this Court’s GALs are appointed using our list of previous GALs.
Any Fee Policy on GAL: Some GALs are paid through the Court’s funds. Most are paid by the parties. The amount of the fees depend upon the parties’ ability to pay.

Court Reporters
Do you have a Court Reporter assigned to your Division? No.
If no, how to request a Court Reporter for your Division. No request accepted. The parties must confer with each other and bring their own court reporter.

Please note that all parties must submit a financial affidavit in all domestic cases involving child custody/support and/or alimony/division of property. This is Judge Barrie’s rule as well as the rule set forth in the standing order.