I was born in Fort Walton Beach, Florida and grew up in the small town of Blakely, Georgia. I graduated from the University of Georgia in 1992 with a degree in Political Science.  I attended the University of Memphis School of Law and received my law degree from there in 1995.

I began my legal career as an associate with the law firm of Shepherd & Johnston in Griffin, Georgia.  I became a partner with Shepherd, Johnston & Owen in 2002.   The firm of Johnston & Owen, LLC was formed in 2018, and I am currently the manager of that firm with offices located in Fayetteville, Griffin and McDonough.

Family law is something that I enjoy. Over my 29 years of practice I have handled thousands of contested and uncontested divorces, custody cases, child support cases, legitimations, adoptions and guardianship matters. I've met many interesting people over the past quarter of a century and I've learned that the expectations of my clients have varied substantially.   When meeting with a prospective client for the first time my initial objective is to determine what the client hopes to achieve upon the conclusion of their case.  I feel I have a responsibility to communicate honestly and candidly with that client, and I must tell the client whether or not I feel his or her goals are realistic.  

I believe that going through my own divorce made me a better lawyer.  I had two small children that were in no way to blame for the change that was about to occur in their lives.  The financial plan that I had established for my family's future was turned upside down.  Despite being very well educated on the subject matter and knowing the law I still had many sleepless nights and a feeling of helplessness during the process. I felt I had no control over my life.   BUT.... I got through it and so did my children.  That experience helped me to better understand what my clients experience during the legal process.  It was an eye opener for sure.

My #1 goal is to accomplish the objectives of my clients, but I am committed to always being truthful with them.  I don't tell a client what he or she wants to hear in order to collect a retainer fee.  I don't make promises that I might not be able to keep.  The only promises that I make is to give my client my very best, to take the time to learn the facts related to their case, to have a thorough understanding of the law as it applies to their particular case and to appear at all proceedings/hearings in their case as prepared as I can be.  Be wary of an attorney that promises anything more than this!

I have also handled a significant number of personal injury cases, car wreck cases and cases involving wrongful death. I have obtained multiple six figure settlements for my clients over my 29 years of practice. Interestingly, a substantial number of my personal injury clients were previously family law clients. I'm proud of that. It tells me that the client hired me again because of their prior experience with my firm. 

If you have visited my Lawyergist page then perhaps you should also visit our website at .  Schedule an appointment with me to discuss the matter or the issues that you are dealing with. I may be able to help you.  Also, please also take some time to read my client reviews that are posted on this website.