- Divorce
- Child SupportFamily law matters can be overwhelming and emotionally draining. Kizer & Black, Attorneys, PLLC, is committed to providing you with professional and effective representation during one of the most stressful times of your life. We focus on your unique and individual needs as you struggle with important, life-changing decisions. We offer competent, cost-effective legal representation to clients seeking assistance in any area of family law, including divorce, legal separation, post-divorce matters, child custody, child support, adoption, paternity, orders of protection, and juvenile court matters.
- Child Custody and VisitationIn 2015, Ashley joined Kizer & Black, Attorneys, PLLC as a litigation attorney, primarily focused on the areas of Domestic Relations and Family Law, including contested or agreed divorces, custody and co-parenting issues for married, never married, or post-divorce couples, adoptions, child support, grandparent visitation, and juvenile issues, such as unruly and delinquent citations and dependency and neglect petitions. She also practices in the area of Criminal Defense and offers her Mediation services. While Blount County is home, Ashley represents clients in various surrounding counties, including Knox, Loudon, Monroe, Morgan, Anderson, Roane, and Sevier.
- Adoption
- Paternity
- Premarital Agreement
- Legal Separation
- Criminal DefenseA native of Maryville, Tennessee, Ryan W. Goddard, has an undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee in Political Science and graduated with honors from Stetson University College of Law. While attending law school, Ryan received several prestigious awards for academic achievement in Constitutional Litigation, Torts, Civil Procedure, Legal Writing, Criminal Law, and Law and Religion.
- DUI/DWI
- Wrongful DeathIf you have been injured in an accident caused by someone else's negligence, the law entitles you to compensation for your injuries so you can overcome the burdens of medical bills, lost wages, and other damages. If you have lost a loved one, you may also have a right to seek compensation.
- Corporate LawMadeline clerked for K&B during law school prior to joining the firm. She is a transactional attorney practicing in the areas of estate planning, wills, trusts, estate administration, elder law, and corporate law, including entity formations and business transactions.
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Business Formation
- Business DisputesMs. Morton joined Kizer & Black in 2016 and is Of Counsel with the firm. She has extensive litigation experience in medical and hospital malpractice and products liability, contract disputes and other general litigation. She is admitted to all Tennessee courts, the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Tennessee, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals and U.S. Claims Court. She is a member of the American Bar Association, Tennessee Bar Association, Knox County Bar Association, Blount County Bar Association, American Association For Justice, and was President of the Blount County Bar Association for two terms. She is an Advocate for the disabled and a Board Member of both East Tennessee Homes and Greenevalley Community Circles.
- Business TransactionsOriginally from Oxford, North Carolina, P. Andrew (Andy) Sneed graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Wake Forest University in 1992 with a degree in philosophy. He then earned a Master of Divinity degree magna cum laude from Duke University in 1995 and served for ten years as a United Methodist pastor in Chattanooga and Knoxville, Tennessee. In 2008, Mr. Sneed graduated cum laude from the University of Tennessee College of Law with a concentration in Business Transactions.
- Workers CompensationAs a civil litigation and appeals specialist, Joel's areas of practice include contract litigation, property owners association law, condominium owners association law, construction litigation, personal injury, workers' compensation, landlord/tenant relations, and property disputes.
- Employment ContractKelly A. Love is the business/transactional attorney at Kizer & Black, Attorneys, PLLC. She joined the firm in 2011 and has served as the Chief Manager since 2016. Kelly has a broad range of transactional experience representing clients on entity formations (mainly corporations and LLCs), mergers and acquisitions, business and commercial law transactions (including Uniform Commercial Code transactions), contracts, commercial and residential real estate transactions (including leases), and employment matters such as drafting employment agreements, severance agreements, and non-compete agreements. Kelly’s early years of practice were focused on creditors’ rights and consisted of loan originations, defeasances, securitized mortgage transactions, foreclosures, loan workouts, short sales, and bankruptcy work.
- Non-compete Agreement
- Severance Agreement
- Real Estate Litigation
- Construction LitigationConstruction disputes can involve complex legal and technical issues. We use our trial experience and technical knowledge to assist clients in protecting their interests in construction litigation.
- Real Estate TransactionsA real estate transaction or property dispute without legal assistance can be a complex process with very high stakes. An experienced real estate lawyer can help you sort out the issues and protect your important rights in your real estate investment.
- Land Use and ZoningRyan joined Kizer & Black, Attorneys, PLLC in 2018 and while his primary practice area is civil litigation, he also handles general business litigation, construction and contractor issues, personal injury, contract law, land and land use law, property law, and landlord-tenant disputes. In his free time, Ryan enjoys spending time with his wife Danielle and his daughter.
- Landlord-Tenant Disputes
- Personal InjurySince Kizer & Black, Attorneys, PLLC was founded in 1968, our law firm has been providing high quality legal services to people and businesses in and around Blount County and throughout East Tennessee. Our attorneys are highly experienced and well-versed in a variety of practice areas, including estate planning, business and commercial law, personal injury law, employment law, litigation, probate or estate administration, real estate, and family law.
- Medical MalpracticeShe is rated as Preeminent by Martindale Hubble with a 5.0 out of 5.0 rating and selected by 2017 Lawyers of Distinction. She has also received awards such as National Trial Lawyers 2018 Top Lawyer and 2019 Top 25 Medical Malpractice Trial Lawyers for professional excellence and highest ethical standards.
- Estate PlanningMr. Black, a native of Maryville, graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1966 with a B.S. in Liberal Arts and he graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1967, having jointly pursued his undergraduate degree and his law degree. He joined Ben Kizer to form Kizer & Black, Attorneys, PLLC in 1968. He served as an Officer on active duty with the U.S. Army Security Agency from 1969-1971 and then returned to the firm. He served as a part-time assistant Attorney General from 1972-1974 and has practiced extensively in areas of major civil, business, and estate litigation. He is licensed to practice before all State Courts, United States District Courts, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, the United States Claims Court, and the Supreme Court of the United States. He is also a certified Mediator and has had an AV Martindale-Hubbell rating for in excess of 30 years. He is a member of the Tennessee and American Bar Associations and has served as President of the Blount County Bar Association. He has been listed in Best Lawyers of America for 30 years.
- WillsPutting your affairs in order through a comprehensive estate plan can bring peace of mind and confidence about the future. One of our experienced lawyers can help you achieve an estate plan that reflects your particular circumstances and needs. Our estate and elder practice includes comprehensive estate planning and effective representation through estate and trust administration, will contests, and other estate litigation.
- TrustsMr. Sneed has been practicing with Kizer & Black, Attorneys, PLLC since 2008 in the areas of Estate Planning, Wills and Trusts, Estate Administration, Elder Law, and Business Transactions. A member of the Blount County, Knoxville, and Tennessee Bar Associations, he is licensed to practice in all Tennessee state courts and in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee.
- Power of AttorneyYes, we have two estate planning attorneys that handle Will and Powers of Attorney, Matthew C. Haralson and P. Andrew Sneed.
- Probate
- Bankruptcy
- Foreclosure
- Tax LawAfter almost a decade as a professional Firefighter/EMT-IV with Rural Metro Fire Department in Knox County, Tennessee, Matt joined Kizer & Black, Attorneys, PLLC in 2002. Matt practices in the area of estate and elder law planning, wills, trusts, and estate administration. His practice includes drafting wills, trusts, powers of attorney, health care directives, and other estate planning documents. He assists and advises clients in estate planning, estate administration, trust administration, transfer tax issues, disability planning, and elder law issues. Matt also routinely works with non-profit organizations, advising them on corporate and other legal issues. Both his undergraduate (B.A., Anthropology) and his law degree were earned at the University of Tennessee.