Meet Amanda Gentry

Amanda is from Hendersonville, Tennessee. She has been a native Middle Tennessean her entire life. Amanda studied at Volunteer State Community College from 2002 to 2003, where she earned her associates degree in communications. She earned her degree in philosophy at Middle Tennessee State University in 2006. Amanda earned her Juris Doctorate from The Nashville School of Law. She is licensed to practice in the state of Tennessee. She went to law school with the intention of learning the procedures of the legal system in her hometown, specifically to protect her family, friends, and loved ones. The court system can be very stressful and overwhelming, no matter the issue. She is an only child and an only grandchild, and this was the deciding factor in her applying to law school. She wanted to make sure that she was informed enough to be able to navigate the difficult situations of those close to her. Difficult situations can be anything from starting a business, being arrested, or dying without a will. Amanda has worked most of her adult life in small businesses. She spent her years in law school working for a company that invests solely in community banks. She supports small and local businesses and focuses her practice on those who live, work, or are affected by the same.

She understands that many clients are coming to her during a difficult situation and strives to mitigate the stress through communication, responsiveness, and straight-forward, honest answers to difficult questions. She understands that excessive legal bills make access to justice and the court system difficult for many people. The goal is to provide competent, reasonable and reliable services in a client friendly environment.

Defending your rights is my number one priority. As a DUI, criminal defense, and divorce and child custody attorney, I have had the pleasure of representing clients accused of crimes or in divorce in Nashville, Murfreesboro, Gallatin, Hendersonville, Manchester, Franklin, Smyrna, Mt. Juliet, Lavergne, Shelbyville, Brentwood, Mt. Pleasant, Waynesboro, Cookeville and Memphis.

I always knew I wanted to be a lawyer. I love every minute of it. It's not work if you wake up and love what you do every day. I love the courtroom. I love happy clients. I love happy children. I don't love jail, no one does. Divorce or being arrested and accused of a crime can be devastating to your life and have endless collateral consequences that directly affect you and everyone in your life. Hiring a passionate, experienced lawyer will be crucial to a successful outcome in the face of a highly adversarial process.

• You have a constitutional right to not talk to the police. Use it.
• You have a constitutional right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures. Exercise it.
• You have a constitutional right to parent your children. Learn more about it.
• You have a constitutional right to privacy. Protect yourself.
• As a father, you have a right to equal and shared co-parenting. Exercise it.

But what if law enforcement or your spouse didn't follow your constitutional rights? What if the police didn't follow the rules? Police are allowed to lie. Seriously. Don't talk to them. They are not your friends. They have a job to do. So do I. Which is to protect you from them. If you did, you have options. You always have options. With the proper training, tools, communication, and preparation, I will zealously defend you, your rights, your family, your children, your freedom.

Often, the fear of the unknown, of what might happen is what causes the most anxiety in criminal courts and family courts. I understand that. I strive to make sure my clients will be prepared and know every option that can be reasonably predicted. I've been there. I will walk you through the process each step of the way. It's your right. Exercise it.

As a Nashville criminal lawyer, I have represented accused criminals that have been arrested on a wide variety of Tennessee Criminal Laws. Whether it's DUI, marijuana, drugs (from opioids to prescription pills, meth, cocaine, crack, or heroin), defending your rights, listening to your story, and giving you a voice in the judicial system is my priority and my passion. If you've been accused of assault, domestic assault, simple assault, aggravated assault, theft, misdemeanors, felonies, harassment, or stalking, being arrested has consequences. They are stressful. I understand that. Whether it's jail, fines, court costs, probation, probation violations, it's all time consuming, expensive, and will directly affect you and your entire life.

Should you find yourself in a situation with a police officer asking you questions, the only response should be, "I WANT A LAWYER." If they ask you multiple questions, keep repeating, "I WANT A LAWYER." Do not admit anything to them. Do not consent. Wear your seatbelt. If you get arrested, don't talk on the jail phones. They record it. It will be used against you. Stay vigilant. Exercise your rights.

Watching a grown man or woman cry tears of joy because I believed in him, and personally helped him though a broken justice system is why I do this and why I love my work. I personally handle all aspects of your case from the beginning to end.

In criminal matters, the first step after being released from jail is to find a lawyer that is right for you. I always encourage people to do their research and shop around. Not every lawyer is the right one for you. Getting a second opinion is always a good idea.

Most criminal matters begin with an arrest. Some with an indictment. If you can afford it, you will then post a bond for your release. You will be given a court date. You will need a lawyer at that court date. And every one. It's your right. Use it. I will give you all the court dates, discuss your options, the consequences of a guilty plea, determine the weight of the evidence, question the police on their reasonable suspicion and probable cause. It's my habit at the very beginning to think about what my closing argument would be in front of a jury. Then I work backward. Does the government have enough to convict you of a crime beyond a reasonable doubt? That is the question. I will help you find the answer.

Each year, I attend trial lawyer training for both criminal and family trials. I continue to stay on top of the current laws, cases, opinion, statutes. Whether it is me or another lawyer, make sure you hire someone who stays up to date on the current legal climate and news laws. The laws change every year and sometimes every month. Each year, I spend countless hours studying, training, consulting with my legal superhero mentors to be the best lawyer I can be for you.

Divorce is hard. It's exhausting. It can be expensive. But it doesn't have to be. I understand it. My childhood was affected by it. The judge ruled in favor of my father. Being raised by my father in a stable, loving, protected environment is what ultimately provided the foundation for my motivation and love of education and the law. The best interest of the child is the court's priority and should always be the parents'. The climate has often favored the mother, but the courts and the case law are now leaning toward equal, shared parenting.

From being served with a divorce to the final decree, as your divorce lawyer, I will be there every step of the way. I have served divorce clients in Nashville, Murfreesboro, Shelbyville, Gallatin, Lebanon, Brentwood and Franklin. I've represented both sides. Fathers have rights. Mothers have rights. Knowing what those rights are and how to protect them is what I will do for you.

Even if you don't have children but do have marital assets and/or marital debts, the Court is going to equitably divide your marriage through the dissolution to the divorce. Regardless of your sex or gender, you may be entitled to support and alimony. You may be entitled to half. You may not. I can answer these questions for you.

Divorce and divorce lawyers can be highly adversarial. It can be burdensome. It can be exhausting both emotionally and financially. It can be a daily fight in and out of the court room. I am a fighter. I refuse to let anyone be bullied. Sometimes a fight may not be emotionally or financially the right decision, but sometimes it is. Regardless, I am prepared to fight from the beginning to the end. I am also realistic. My advice and recommendations come from my experience. I expect my clients to listen and trust me. I got into this field to help and protect people. I do it every day.

If you are involved in any type of litigation, but especially divorce, child custody, or child support court, learn this rule and live it. Treat all your text messages, emails, Facebook, Twitter, social media as if it's 100% certain they will end up on a projector, in a court of law, in front of a judge, who will determine the fate. Want to have to explain your behavior to a judge? You are under a microscope. Don't forget it.

What's your life story? I will ask you. I will often ask you to write it down. Once I am hired, anything you tell me is confidential. It is between me and you. I want to know your life story. I want to know how you got to my doorstep. I want to know how to prepare a defense or a settlement in the most painless, efficient, cost effective, organized way. The devil is in the details. For me, knowing all the details and all the facts, whether small or large, is instrumental in being able to fully advocate for you and your rights.

I am an active member of the Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. During the legislative session, each year, I regularly follow, advocate, and lobby on behalf of TACDL. TACDL is an incredible resource of criminal lawyers in Nashville, Murfreesboro, and all over the State of Tennessee. "Wherever Justice Demands" is TACDL's motto that I live by.

Lawyers can't make guarantees on how a judge or a court will rule on your case. But as your criminal defense attorney, I will guarantee that you are my priority. I am committed to being accessible, communicating often, and making the entire process as seamless and painless as possible. It's what I do.