A second-generation Gwinnett attorney.
Joseph E. Cheeley, III, a lifelong native of Gwinnett County, has more than four decades of experience practicing law in the North Metro Atlanta area. He serves individuals and families in divorce, child custody, child support, probate, estate, fiduciary, contracts, torts, and real estate litigation.
Mr. Cheeley and his team believe in providing excellent, individualized, affordable professional representation. The firm values each client and keeps them continuously informed about the status of their case. The practice is grounded in careful preparation and practical guidance.
Cheeley Legal does not treat a client as a “number.”
As an undergraduate at the University of Georgia, Joseph was active in numerous campus organizations. He graduated with high honors (magna cum laude) and is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa scholastic honorary. He graduated from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1980.
After law school, Joseph joined his father's practice, the late Judge Joseph E. Cheeley, Jr., a long-standing member of the profession. Joseph authored two law review articles on family law, which sparked his interest in helping clients navigate the process.
Early in his career, the Georgia Supreme Court appointed Joseph as Special Master to hear State Bar attorney disciplinary proceedings.
In 1983, the Attorney General appointed Joseph as Special Assistant Attorney General (SAAG) to represent the Gwinnett County Department of Family and Children Services. Joseph represented DFCS for over 16 years, protecting vulnerable children in hundreds of child custody cases.
Joseph is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit, and to the United States District Court, Northern District of Georgia. He has represented clients on appeal in over 30 reported appellate cases (and additional unreported cases), reflecting an unusually extensive level of appellate experience.
Mr. Cheeley is a member of the State Bar of Georgia Family Law & Fiduciary Law sections and the Gwinnett County Bar Association, Family Law and Estate/Probate Law sections.
Joseph and his wife, Margaret Cheeley, have been married for over 40 years. They are proud parents of two children and enjoy spending time with their grandchildren. They are active in their church and community. Joseph enjoys following the Georgia Bulldogs and the Atlanta Falcons.
Prospective clients are invited to contact the firm to discuss their family law, probate, fiduciary, or civil litigation matters.
Bilingual paralegal & advocate.
Elizaveta “Liza” Kirpanova is a bilingual paralegal at Cheeley Legal and a Juris Doctor candidate at Georgia State University College of Law. She brings a strong background in investigative journalism, immigration advocacy, and community service to her work with clients across the Metropolitan Atlanta area. A native of Russia, Liza began her career in 2018 as a reporter for Novaya Gazeta — Russia’s leading independent newspaper — working under former editor-in-chief and Nobel Peace Laureate Dmitry Muratov, where her reporting on healthcare, education, immigration, and human-rights issues helped prompt amendments to Russian federal law.
Following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Liza and her family relocated to the United States, where her continued dedication to justice and advocacy for the immigrant community earned her the Press Freedom Grant from the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents. In 2024, she pivoted her passion for advocacy from journalism to law, working as a paralegal in the Metropolitan Atlanta area on immigration, family, juvenile, and criminal matters before joining Cheeley Legal. In her spare time, Liza enjoys classic literature, traveling, and hiking in the North Georgia area.
Education: Georgia State University College of Law (J.D., 2029); Lomonosov Moscow State University (B.A., 2018). Languages: Russian & English.
Admissions, education & professional service.
- State of Georgia, 1980
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia, 1980
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit, 1981
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit, 1981
- U.S. Supreme Court, 2005
- University of Georgia School of Law — J.D., 1980
- University of Georgia — B.A., magna cum laude, 1976
- Phi Beta Kappa
- Domestic Relations, Annual Survey of Georgia Law, 1979–1980, 32 Mercer Law Review 51 (1980).
- Domestic Relations, Annual Survey of Georgia Law, 1980–1981, 33 Mercer Law Review 109 (1981).
- State Bar of Georgia — Family Law & Fiduciary Law sections
- Gwinnett County Bar Association — Family Law & Elder Law sections
Need legal guidance? Start with a consultation.
Whether you are facing a family dispute, planning your estate, administering a loved one's estate, or preparing for litigation, Cheeley Legal can help you understand your options and take the next step — with honest, objective advice and no pressure to commit.
