Carla F. Stern is a versatile family law attorney and Atlanta native with a proven track record of achievement in handling complex marriage dissolution and child custody cases involving high asset clients. Her areas of strength include mediation, litigation, and relationship cultivation as well as providing clients with innovative solutions to challenging situations. She distinctively combines strong law background and advanced legal skills with a passion for counseling both clients and team members. Ms. Stern is a fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and is Board Certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. She is also a member of the Family Law Sections of the Atlanta Bar, Georgia Bar, and American Bar Associations, The Charles Longstreet Weltner Family Law Inn of Court, and the Atlanta Lawyer’s Club. A frequent lecturer and panelist at matrimonial law seminars, some of Ms. Stern lectures have been delivered to the State Bar of Georgia, Family Law Section; the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers National and Georgia Chapter and the Atlanta Bar Association Family Law Section. Additionally, she has authored numerous articles on matrimonial law. Ms. Stern has received many recognitions and awards including Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, since 2010, 2011 inaugural edition of the Martindale-Hubbell® Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers™ - exclusively for women attorneys who have received the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards from their peers; Georgia’s Top Rated Lawyers and Super Lawyers. Received AV Preeminent rating which is the highest possible professional rating by Martindale Hubble for 12 years in a row. Included in Best Lawyers in America since 2013 for work in the practice area of Family Law.

Attorney Stratte's passion is family law. She brings significant experience with bench trials and alternative dispute resolution to assist her clients with compassionate resolution of these deeply personal legal issues. In addition, she has many recent wins at long cause trials in property division, domestic violence restraining orders, custody, contempt of court and fee awards, among other successes. Attorney Stratte received her Bachelor of the Arts from the University of California Berkeley in Women's Studies, located in Berkeley, California. Thereafter, she received her professional doctorate in law from Southwestern Law School located in Los Angeles, California. She was admitted to the California State Bar in December 2012. Attorney Stratte is also admitted before the United States Eastern, Northern, and Central Districts for the Court of California. She has served in various positions with the Sacramento Bar Association and is a lifetime member of the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity. She enjoys experiencing the outdoors in this beautiful state of California, is an active member of her church, and volunteers for various organizations throughout the region. Attorney Stratte is dedicated to providing her clients with zealous advocacy combined with shrewd legal strategy, utilizing innovation and creativity, designed to maximize results. When you need excellent legal representation-Attorney Stratte delivers!

Michael Stutman is a Founding Partner of SSL, LLP. He boasts a prestigious career as a New York matrimonial litigator. Michael is well known for handling matters for affluent individuals with pragmatism and discretion. His strong and resilient courtroom presence and excellent reputation for problem solving and intelligence provides a winning edge for his clients.

Mr. Sullivan attended Western State College of Law where he earned his Juris Doctorate degree in 1978. Mr. Sullivan is admitted to practice law in the following jurisdictions: State Bar of California, California Supreme Court, U.S. District Court, Central District and the U.S. Federal Tax Court. Mr. Sullivan’s law firm primarily handles family law cases related to adoption, divorce, child custody, child support, spousal support, property division, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, post-divorce modifications, guardianship and domestic violence. Mr. Sullivan is part of many associated with many professional organizations and associations including being a member of the Orange County Bar Association and the Orange County Family Law Section of the State Bar of California. Mr. Sullivan has also previously been appointed by the Orange County Superior Court to represent minors and has acted as Special Master to the Court to address litigation in domestic relation actions.

Attorney Bree Sullivan-Howell was born and raised in South Georgia. After graduating with honors from Deerfield-Windsor School in Albany, Ms. Sullivan-Howell matriculated to the University of Georgia, where she graduated from the UGA Honors Program with a perfect 4.0 grade point average in Journalism/Public Relations, First Honor Graduate, Summa Cum Laude, with honors, in 1999. Ms. Sullivan-Howell's academic success brought with it memberships in such honor societies as Phi Beta Kappa, Golden Key National Honor Society, Omicron Delta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, and Order of Omega Greek Honor Society. While a student at the University of Georgia, Ms. Sullivan-Howell was named one of ten Outstanding Senior Leaders and was awarded a 1997 National Leadership Award from Delta Epsilon Iota Honor Society. She also represented UGA's athletic department in UGA football recruitment efforts, was a member and philanthrophy chairperson of Kappa Delta Sorority, and was a member of Mortar Board. Perhaps her best preparation for law school and, ultimately, a career as a litigator came when she was selected to serve as Defender/Advocate on UGA's University Judiciary. Ms. Sullivan-Howell served as an intern in the Washington, D.C., offices of the late U.S. Senator Paul Coverdell and U.S. Representative Nathan Deal, who went on to become Georgia Governor. While working on Capitol Hill, Ms. Sullivan-Howell attended and completed a course of study with the Institute on Political Journalism at Georgetown University. Ms. Sullivan-Howell worked two years during college as a file clerk in the Athens law firm of Fortson, Bentley & Griffin, P.A. before matriculating to law school in 1999. Ms. Sullivan-Howell academic success and leadership while an undergraduate earned her a full scholarship to attend law school at Mercer University's Walter F. George School of Law. While there, Ms. Sullivan-Howell distinguished herself as a top student, graduating Cum Laude in 2002 and receiving CALI Awards For Excellence in First Amendment Law, Environmental Law, Taxation of Tax-Exempt Organizations, Appellate Practice and Procedure, Advanced Legal Research, Legal Writing I and Legal Writing II. Ms. Sullivan-Howell also received Faculty Awards for Excellence in Legal Writing I and Legal Writing II and was named to the school's Dean's List. Outside the classroom, Ms. Sullivan-Howell participated in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program helping needy people complete income tax returns and was active in the Federalist Society. She also served as Vice President of Mercer's chapter of Christian Legal Society and gained invaluable experience as an intern to the late Honorable Duross Fitzpatrick, Judge, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia in 2001. After her admission to the Georgia Bar in 2002, Ms. Sullivan-Howell accepted a position as an associate with the Macon firm of James, Bates, Pope & Spivey, LLP, (now known as James Bates) where she worked as a commercial and business tort litigator. Ms. Howell relocated from Macon to Thomasville in 2005. Ms. Sullivan-Howell formerly served as a Board member for Family Enrichment Group, Inc., the Thomas County affiliate of CASA Georgia, Inc., an organization which provides child advocacy services in Georgia's Juvenile Courts. She is also an active member of the Women's Forum, a subsection of the Thomas County Chamber of Commerce, and has presented legal information programs for Boy Scouts and women's small groups in Thomasville. Ms. Sullivan-Howell has served as a competition judge and advisor to the Scholars Academy team in Georgia High School Mock Trial proceedings. Ms. Sullivan-Howell is a member of the Georgia Bar's Section on Family Law and the Thomas County Bar Association. Ms. Sullivan-Howell has served for many years as Chairperson for the Advisory Board to Southwest Georgia Technical College's program in Paralegal Studies. The American Institute of Family Law Attorneys named Ms. Sullivan-Howell one of the Ten Best Family Law Attorneys in Georgia. Positive feedback from clients has earned Ms. Sullivan-Howell an Avvo Client's Choice badge on www.avvo.com. Ms. Sullivan-Howell is admitted to practice in all Superior Courts of the State of Georgia, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Washington, D.C. She is an active member of Thomasville First United Methodist Church, where she sings with the Worship Team. Ms. Sullivan-Howell published her books Crush Your Divorce & Keep Your Faith, Crush Your Comeback and Devotional for the Divorcing in 2024.