Lawyers Without Billboards

Real lawyers, real talk—without the billboards. Lawyers Without Billboards is an unfiltered look at family law, hosted by the partners of Shewmaker & Lewis: Steve and Patty Shewmaker, and Jimmy and Alexa Lewis. With decades of experience in divorce, custody battles, child support, alimony, and criminal law, they break down legal myths, share expert insights, and dive into real cases (sometimes with a side of humor). Expect candid conversations, legal deep dives, and the occasional sidebar on pop culture, legal movies, and life as family law attorneys. Whether you're navigating a family law issue, practicing law yourself, or just enjoy courtroom drama, this podcast offers valuable insights with a dose of levity. New episodes every two weeks Subscribe and listen wherever you get your podcasts!

Lawyers Without Billboards is a education podcast hosted by Shewmaker & Lewis, with 75 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Shewmaker & Lewis hosts Lawyers Without Billboards, a education show with 75 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #34

  Bankruptcy During Divorce: What Happens to Support, Property and Debt? | Lawyers Without Billboards S2-Ep34

  Aug 20, 202644 minS2

  What happens when bankruptcy crashes into a divorce case? Bankruptcy attorney Ian Falcone joins Steve, Patty and Alexa to explain how bankruptcy can affect divorce proceedings, support obligations, property settlements, attorney’s fees, joint debt and real estate. Ian breaks down the differences between Chapters 7, 11, 12 and 13, then explains one of the most important concepts in bankruptcy law: the automatic stay. The group discusses what may pause when bankruptcy is filed during a divorce, what can continue and why the answer often depends heavily on the facts. They also explore whether child support, alimony, extracurricular expenses, car payments, attorney’s fees and other divorce-related obligations can be discharged. Ian explains why simply labeling something “support” may not make it support in bankruptcy court and why carefully drafted settlement agreements and indemnification provisions matter. Finally, Ian shares a critical warning for divorce attorneys and spouses dealing with real estate: when a house is titled in only one spouse’s name, filing a lis pendens early may help protect the other spouse’s interest if bankruptcy is later filed. ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:10 Meet bankruptcy attorney Ian Falcone 04:40 From “threshold law” to bankruptcy practice 07:20 When divorce and bankruptcy intersect 10:17 Understanding Chapters 7, 11, 12 and 13 12:46 Why people with assets sometimes file bankruptcy 15:05 What happens when bankruptcy is filed during divorce 15:36 The automatic stay explained 16:40 What divorce issues may continue despite bankruptcy 18:52 Why violating the automatic stay can be risky 21:58 Criminal actions, civil actions and contempt 24:40 Why bankruptcy answers are often fact-specific 27:18 Can divorce-related debt be discharged? 28:10 What counts as a domestic support obligation? 29:44 Cars, insurance, college expenses and attorney’s fees 31:00 Drafting agreements to protect support obligations 33:17 Why labels do not control in bankruptcy court 35:19 Why indemnification language matters 37:17 Chapter 7 versus Chapter 13 divorce debt 39:17 Protecting a home with a lis pendens 41:34 Rising bankruptcy filings and struggling businesses 43:14 Final thoughts Subscribe for candid conversations about family law, relationships, and the legal system - without the billboards. Connect with bankruptcy attorney Ian Falcone: https://www.falconefirm.com/ ️ Hosts: Steve & Patty Shewmaker, Jimmy & Alexa Lewis Watch here: https://youtu.be/BNnEoXfG-58 or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more. Contact: pshewmaker@shewmakerandlewis.com | (770) 939-1939 Website: https://www.shewmakerandlewis.com Podcast Library: https://shewmakerandlewis.com/lawyers-without-billboards Music by Ben Hernandez – Dragonsong Productions Produced by: Bleeding Edge, Inc. Audio & Video Production: Rob Burgner Recorded at: Shewmaker & Lewis, Atlanta, GA

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  Episode #33

  Parenting Plans Explained: Custody Schedules, 50/50 and What Works | Lawyers Without Billboards S2-Ep33

  Aug 13, 202632 minS2

  A parenting plan is more than a calendar. It determines how parents will make major decisions, where children will spend their time and how everyday parenting will work after a divorce. In this episode of Lawyers Without Billboards , Steve, Patty, Jimmy and Alexa break down what goes into a Georgia parenting plan, including legal custody, final decision-making authority, regular parenting schedules and the growing variety of 50/50 custody arrangements. They explain the differences between week-on/week-off, 2-2-5-5 and 2-2-3 schedules, why some arrangements create more confusion than stability and how work schedules, school locations, commuting distances and a child’s age can affect what is practical. The team also discusses why there may be no true “standard” parenting schedule and why parents should focus less on counting days and more on creating a plan that genuinely works for their children. ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 – Welcome to Lawyers Without Billboards 02:09 – Is a parenting plan required in Georgia? 03:38 – The paperwork involved in a divorce with children 05:20 – Why self-represented parents often struggle with the process 08:13 – What a parenting plan actually covers 09:01 – Understanding legal custody 10:40 – Final decision-making authority 11:08 – The four major areas of parental decision-making 11:51 – Technology, smartphones and social media 12:45 – Dividing medical, educational and other decisions 13:42 – When parenting plans become too complicated 15:50 – Regular parenting time versus holiday parenting time 17:09 – What is considered a “standard” custody schedule? 17:28 – How parenting schedules have changed over time 18:36 – When judges favor 50/50 custody 20:48 – Why parenting schedules must fit real life 21:45 – Work schedules, commuting and distance between parents 23:16 – The trend toward expanded parenting time 23:36 – Why living near your co-parent can matter 25:28 – Different versions of 50/50 custody 25:36 – How a 2-2-5-5 schedule works 25:55 – How a 2-2-3 schedule works 27:21 – Week-on/week-off custody 27:41 – Parenting schedules for younger children 28:49 – Focusing on what is best for the child 29:54 – More parenting-plan topics still to come Subscribe for candid conversations about family law, relationships, and the legal system - without the billboards. ️ Hosts: Steve & Patty Shewmaker, Jimmy & Alexa Lewis Watch here: https://youtu.be/w-0pd0MJ_ko or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more. Contact: pshewmaker@shewmakerandlewis.com | (770) 939-1939 Website: https://www.shewmakerandlewis.com Podcast Library: https://shewmakerandlewis.com/lawyers-without-billboards Music by Ben Hernandez – Dragonsong Productions Produced by: Bleeding Edge, Inc. Audio & Video Production: Rob Burgner Recorded at: Shewmaker & Lewis, Atlanta, GA

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  Episode #32

  Asked, Answered and Overruled: Courtroom Objections Part 2 | Lawyers Without Billboards S2-Ep32

  Aug 6, 202637 minS2

  The Lawyers Without Billboards team returns for Part 2 of its discussion about courtroom objections. Steve, Patty, Jimmy and Alexa break down asked and answered, argumentative questions, assumes facts not in evidence, authentication, foundation, best evidence, counsel testifying, compound questions, cumulative evidence, speculation and leading questions. They also explain why an objection must be made at the right time, how emails and text messages are authenticated, when repetitive witnesses become cumulative and why lawyers are sometimes allowed to ask leading questions. Naturally, the episode also includes childhood candy, a military office prank and one highly memorable poop emoji introduced into evidence. ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:26 Childhood candy favorites 02:40 A military office prank 06:33 Courtroom Objections Part 2 07:12 Waiving an objection 08:23 Ambiguous questions 09:09 Argumentative questions 11:15 Asked and answered 13:14 Assumes facts not in evidence 15:48 Authentication 17:05 Authentication vs. foundation 18:34 Authenticating emails 21:15 Authenticating text messages 23:27 The best evidence rule 25:17 Summaries and financial records 26:38 Counsel testifying 27:54 Compound questions 28:43 Cumulative evidence 30:26 Speculation 32:27 Leading questions 36:17 Closing thoughts Subscribe for candid conversations about family law, relationships, and the legal system - without the billboards. ️ Hosts: Steve & Patty Shewmaker, Jimmy & Alexa Lewis Watch here: https://youtu.be/bcmmcNyrIZY or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more. Contact: pshewmaker@shewmakerandlewis.com | (770) 939-1939 Website: https://www.shewmakerandlewis.com Podcast Library: https://shewmakerandlewis.com/lawyers-without-billboards Music by Ben Hernandez – Dragonsong Productions Produced by: Bleeding Edge, Inc. Audio & Video Production: Rob Burgner Recorded at: Shewmaker & Lewis, Atlanta, GA

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  Episode #31

  Georgia’s New Laws: Service Dogs, Signal Jammers & Political T-Shirts | Lawyers Without Billboards S2-Ep31

  Jul 30, 202631 minS2

  Georgia has a fresh batch of laws on the books, and some are more surprising than others. In this episode of Lawyers Without Billboards , Steve, Patty, Jimmy, and Alexa break down several notable new Georgia laws, including expanded protections for service dogs, changes to the Safe Haven law, new rules for cash rounding if pennies disappear, tougher penalties for signal jammers, and a publicly searchable animal cruelty database. The conversation also covers increased penalties for gift card fraud, human trafficking, and improper sexual conduct by clergy, along with Georgia’s new protections for political expression by public school students. As always, the team explores what the laws actually say, why lawmakers may have passed them, and the practical questions that could arise once they are enforced. ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 Welcome to Lawyers Without Billboards 01:02 Why many Georgia laws take effect July 1 02:33 New protections for service dogs 06:45 Penalties for harming a service dog 09:30 How the podcast is reaching potential clients 10:08 Georgia’s expanded Safe Haven law 11:32 Georgia’s new cash-rounding law 14:49 Magistrate Court limits increase 15:17 Signal jammers become a felony 16:42 New criminal provisions involving clergy 18:13 Georgia’s animal cruelty database 21:13 Human trafficking and pimping penalties 21:37 New gift card fraud offenses 23:38 Political expression in Georgia public schools 25:53 Political clothing, school dress codes, and free speech 30:12 Final thoughts Subscribe for candid conversations about family law, relationships, and the legal system - without the billboards. ️ Hosts: Steve & Patty Shewmaker, Jimmy & Alexa Lewis Watch here: https://youtu.be/QjjqbTgCDMM or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more. Contact: pshewmaker@shewmakerandlewis.com | (770) 939-1939 Website: https://www.shewmakerandlewis.com Podcast Library: https://shewmakerandlewis.com/lawyers-without-billboards Music by Ben Hernandez – Dragonsong Productions Produced by: Bleeding Edge, Inc. Audio & Video Production: Rob Burgner Recorded at: Shewmaker & Lewis, Atlanta, GA

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  Episode #30

  Cybersecurity for Lawyers: Is Your Law Firm a Disaster Waiting to Happen? | Lawyers Without Billboards S2-Ep30

  Jul 23, 202643 minS2

  One bad click can create a very expensive problem for a law firm. Steve, Alexa, and Jimmy welcome attorney and cybersecurity professional Lawton Brown of Exigent to discuss the growing cyber threats facing law firms of every size. Lawton explains why compromised law firm email accounts can spread malware to clients and opposing counsel, how artificial intelligence is making phishing attempts more convincing, and why attorneys may have an ethical duty to take reasonable steps to protect confidential client information. They also discuss cyber liability insurance, ransomware payments, cloud security, compromised charging cables, the risks of placing client information into free AI tools, and the potentially devastating cost of a data breach. Lawton shares the story of a small company that faced nearly $1 million in expenses following a ransomware attack and explains why cyber insurance may deny coverage when a business has failed to follow the security requirements contained in its policy. The conversation eventually turns to Shewmaker & Lewis’s ongoing devotion to WordPerfect, unrealistic computer hacking scenes in movies, WarGames, The Matrix, Star Wars, and the urgent need for a system that automatically deletes Steve’s browser history. ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 Welcome and introductions 00:41 Meet Lawton Brown 03:13 Lawyer turned cybersecurity professional 06:09 The old law firm server and the move to the cloud 09:55 When hacked law firms send dangerous emails 10:42 Cybersecurity negligence and legal ethics 12:20 Practical email security protections 15:42 The limitations of cyber liability insurance 17:40 Ignoring known security vulnerabilities 19:53 Why small firms are attractive targets 21:31 Cloud servers versus local servers 23:51 What a data breach can cost 25:27 The realities of ransomware 27:00 The battle over WordPerfect 31:57 Hacking in movies versus real life 33:33 Real-world hacking techniques 36:16 Why most attacks begin with email 37:35 Movies the hosts cannot stop watching 40:32 A serious Star Wars technology debate 41:33 Final advice for law firms Connect with Lawton Brown: Lawton Brown is an attorney and cybersecurity professional with Xogent, helping law firms and businesses protect their systems, confidential information, and day-to-day operations. Website: www.xogent.com Office: (678) 208-8866 To learn more about Xogent’s cybersecurity and managed IT services, visit the website or contact Lawton directly. Subscribe for candid conversations about family law, relationships, and the legal system - without the billboards. ️ Hosts: Steve & Patty Shewmaker, Jimmy & Alexa Lewis Watch here: https://youtu.be/gQl6xcSkRt8 or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more. Contact: pshewmaker@shewmakerandlewis.com | (770) 939-1939 Website: https://www.shewmakerandlewis.com Podcast Library: https://shewmakerandlewis.com/lawyers-without-billboards Music by Ben Hernandez – Dragonsong Productions Produced by: Bleeding Edge, Inc. Audio & Video Production: Rob Burgner Recorded at: Shewmaker & Lewis, Atlanta, GA

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