AREAS OF PRACTICE

Divorce and post-divorce, child custody, co-parenting, parenting plan modification, child support, alimony/spousal support

LICENSES

Tennessee Supreme Court, bar license #032665, 2014

Kentucky Supreme Court, bar license #00629, 1984

COLLABORATIVE & MEDIATION TRAINING

Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31 Listed Family Mediator

BIOGRAPHY

Jo Ann Lehberger retired as a Family Court Judge in Lexington, Kentucky and returned to her hometown of Knoxville in 2013. While on the bench, Jo Ann became the Chair of the Fayette Family Court, a position she held until she retired. She presided over cases involving divorce, child custody, visitation, alimony and support, termination of parental rights, domestic violence, paternity, juvenile status offenses, child abuse and neglect, and adoption. Additionally, Jo Ann was involved in numerous projects to improve the court and the community, such as the Model Court project for families and children in dependency, neglect and abuse court, truancy court, the Civil Rules Initiative of the Kentucky Supreme Court, the Mayor’s Commission on Youth Development and Public Safety and the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team. Before taking the bench, Jo Ann practiced civil and family law litigation for 18 years. Her practice focused on representing individuals involved in divorce, child custody, child visitation and child support litigation. She served as chair of the family law section of the Kentucky Bar Association and the Fayette County Bar Association and as a member of the Kentucky Legislature’s Special Task Force on Parenting and Child Custody.

Jo Ann is licensed to practice law in Tennessee and Kentucky and is a Rule 31 certified Family Mediator. Jo Ann is also trained in the collaborative method of resolving divorce cases, and is a founding member of the East Tennessee Collaborative Alliance and a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals. She enjoys using her experience and passion for family law to effectively and respectfully resolve family issues. In addition to her private practice with Smith, Higgins & Lehberger, Jo Ann is an adjunct professor at the University of Tennessee College of Law Domestic Violence Clinic, where she teaches and supervises student lawyers who provide pro bono representation to domestic violence victims in Order of Protection court.