12 Strangers and Your Divorce: The Truth About Georgia Jury Trials | LWB - Ep 23

Most states don’t let juries anywhere near divorce cases — but Georgia is one of the few exceptions. In this episode of Lawyers Without Billboards, the Shewmaker & Lewis team explains exactly how jury trials work in Georgia family law, when they make sense, and why they might not be worth it.

You’ll learn:

Why Georgia and Texas are the only two states that do it this way

What issues a jury can decide in a divorce (and what’s off-limits)

How jury trials can delay cases — and sometimes be used as a tactic

The big differences between jury trials and bench trials

Real-world stories from Georgia courtrooms (including an $18M case with a Hollywood stuntman as jury foreman)

Chapters:
00:00 – Intro & banter from Switzerland trip
01:37 – Can you have a jury in a Georgia divorce?
02:37 – What juries can and can’t decide
04:40 – Why you might want a jury trial
06:57 – Using jury trials as a delay tactic
08:49 – Strategic advantages of juries in certain cases
09:57 – Juries and bad conduct evidence
11:19 – Jury selection challenges
12:20 – The cost difference: jury vs bench trial
13:03 – Preparing jury charges and instructions
15:17 – Voir dire and jury questions
16:51 – Picking sympathetic jurors
17:45 – Trial process similarities and differences
18:53 – Stricter rules of evidence in jury trials
20:51 – Why some lawyers avoid jury trials
22:25 – Are juries just popularity contests?
23:56 – Why judges dislike jury trials in divorce cases
26:42 – The Hollywood stuntman jury foreman story
27:20 – Deciding between judge, jury, or settlement
28:21 – Closing thoughts on jury trials

📩 Contact: [email protected]
🌐 Website: https://www.shewmakerandlewis.com
🎧 Podcast Library: https://shewmakerandlewis.com/lawyers...
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🎼 Music by Ben Hernandez at Dragonsong Productions
🎥 Produced by Rob Burgner at Bleeding Edge - https://www.bleedingedge.tv in Atlanta, GA

#GeorgiaLaw #Divorce #JuryTrial #FamilyLaw #LawyersWithoutBillboards