Eric J. Tatum
-Voted "BEST FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY" - Forsyth County News (2024)
-Voted "BEST FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY" - Forsyth County News (2022)
Eric J. Tatum is an attorney born and raised in Gwinnett County, Georgia, having graduated from Buford High School. In 2008, he graduated from Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC, where he was a four year baseball scholarship athlete, with a dual major in economics and business administration. After college, he received his Juris Doctorate from Georgia State University in 2011. He began his work in law at a Forsyth County law firm in 2010 as a second year law student, where he was working for partners Phil Pilgrim and Amy Carter, and with now partner Jacob Stidham. Phil, Amy and Jacob played an integral role in shaping his legal acumen and career, not knowing that they would all be reunited as partners later in their careers at Banks, Stubbs and McFarland by 2021. He left that firm in 2012 and opened The Law Office of Eric J. Tatum, to pursue being a solo practitioner and start his own business, following in the footsteps of his grandfather and father, who were both small business owners in the metro-Atlanta area, and uncle, Larry, who is a solo practitioner attorney in Gwinnett County. After years of learning a variety of disciplines in family law, criminal law, personal injury law and basic estate planning, Eric honed in his skills of negotiation and litigation to specialize in family law and adoption.
Eric joined Banks, Stubbs, & McFarland, LLP in 2018 after a successful season as an entrepreneur and solo practitioner. He stepped in and became the family law partner to fill the role left by retiring partners Beau Stubbs and Cindy English. Later in 2018, he was blessed to be able to adopt his third child from an attorney in Florida, which lit a fire in his heart to bring affordable adoption solutions to Georgia. After much prayer, and in conjunction with his incredible wife, Lauren, they launched the “Affordable Adoption Georgia” program through Banks, Stubbs, & McFarland in 2023, which seeks to provide an affordable adoption alternative to families wishing to adopt by partnering with Crisis Pregnancy Centers and other like-minded non-profit organizations.
Currently, his primary practice areas include Adoptions and Family Law. He is licensed to practice in all lower courts of Georgia, as well as the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court. Mr. Tatum accomplishes his clients’ goals with thorough investigation, preparation, innovation, and skill in both the collaborative and adversarial worlds of law. Mr. Tatum has an advantage over other family law attorneys because he majored in economics and business management. Thus, he is adept at QDROs and other daunting tasks involving mathematics and property division, especially in the area of high asset divorces. His skill in custody litigation and adoption comes from his passion for families and children, where he has served as a Guardian ad Litem in both the Superior and Juvenile Courts, advocating for the best interest of children, and in being a step-father, biological father, adoptive father and former foster father, understanding various dynamics in the parent/child relationship from nearly every perspective in fatherhood. He is a tenacious advocate for his clients, with a goal of achieving realistic results, and often exceeding his client’s expectations in mediations or in trials. He thrives in the courtroom and outside of it to achieve the best possible outcome, all while seeking to put the pieces of life back together after the bitter pangs of the divorce process, or adding the perfect next piece to your family through adoption.
In Mr. Tatum’s free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Lauren, and four (yes FOUR!) daughters, travelling and missions work, being involved in their local church in leading adult and youth small groups, and rooting on his beloved Georgia Bulldogs and Atlanta Braves. He is also an avid golfer and outdoorsman, who loves to hunt and fish, when he isn’t attending church events, traveling with his wife, at cheerleading competitions, horseback riding shows, dance recitals, coaching his daughter’s sports teams, or other various kid’s activities.
Areas of Practice
- Auto Accidents
- Trucking Accidents
- Wrongful Death
- Boating Accidents
- Premises Liability & Slip and Fall
Litigation Percentage
- 100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
Bar Admissions
- Georgia, 2011
Education
- Georgia State University College of Law, Atlanta, Georgia, J.D. – 2011
- Presbyterian College, B.A. – 2008
Certified Legal Specialties
- Guardian Ad Litem, 2012 (Learn more about guardian ad litem in Georgia.)
Past Employment Positions
- Owner of Eric J. Tatum, LLC, 2012-2017