Guntersville, Alabama  ·  Marshall County  ·  Founded 2014

Guntersville Law, LLC — Personal Injury, Divorce & Criminal Defense Attorneys

Three experienced attorneys serving Marshall County and North Alabama. Paul A. Seckel, Emily Jolley Seckel, and Tim Jolley — former Marshall County Circuit Judge — handle personal injury, divorce and child custody, criminal defense, appeals, mediation, and estate planning.

Personal Injury Divorce & Custody Criminal Defense Estate Planning Appeals Mediation Former Circuit Judge on Staff
Schedule a Consultation $100 / 30 min  ·  Criminal & Family Law Call (256) 571-1529 Mon–Thurs 8am–5pm Free Injury Consultation No fee unless we win

1320 Gunter Ave, Suite A  ·  Guntersville, AL 35976  ·  (256) 571-1529

3
Experienced Attorneys
12+
Years Serving North Alabama
18
Years on the Circuit Bench (Tim Jolley)
$100
Flat-fee consultation (criminal & family law)

On This Page

Practice Areas Meet the Attorneys Why Guntersville Law Cities & Courts We Serve Client Testimonials Frequently Asked Questions

Practice Areas

Guntersville Law, LLC handles seven primary practice areas for clients throughout Marshall County and North Alabama. Click any practice area below for detailed information, including Alabama law citations, common questions, and how we approach those cases.

⚖️

Personal Injury

Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle crashes, premises liability, wrongful death, and all personal injury claims in North Alabama. No fee unless we win.

  • Alabama contributory negligence — critical to act fast
  • Free consultation  ·  Contingency fee
  • Serving Marshall County and surrounding areas
Learn more →
👨‍👩‍👧

Divorce & Child Custody

Contested and uncontested divorce, child custody and parenting plans, child support, property division, and alimony throughout Marshall County.

  • Parenting plans & custody modifications
  • Relocation disputes (45-day notice rule)
  • $100 consultation  ·  Paul or Emily
Learn more →
🛡️

Criminal Defense

DUI, drug charges, felonies, misdemeanors, domestic violence defense, and expungement throughout Marshall County and North Alabama.

  • Former Chief ADA & Circuit Judge on staff
  • Guntersville, Arab & Albertville City Courts
  • $100 consultation  ·  Call before your court date
Learn more →
📋

Estate Planning

Wills, trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and probate. Emily Jolley Seckel helps North Alabama families protect what they’ve built.

  • Revocable & irrevocable trusts
  • Durable & healthcare powers of attorney
  • $100 consultation  ·  Emily Jolley Seckel
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📁

Appeals

Civil and family law appeals to the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals and Alabama Supreme Court. Emily Jolley Seckel handles appellate matters.

  • Family law appeal specialists
  • Strategic appellate brief writing
  • $100 consultation  ·  Emily Jolley Seckel
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🤝

Mediation

Civil and domestic relations mediation conducted by Tim Jolley — former Marshall County Circuit Judge and registered mediator. Open to all parties, not just firm clients.

  • Only registered mediator at the firm
  • 18 years on the bench — knows how courts rule
  • Contact Tim directly: (256) 571-5051
Learn more →

Meet the Attorneys

Guntersville Law, LLC is built around three attorneys whose collective experience spans decades of prosecution, judicial service, education, and private practice. When you work with this firm, you work with the attorneys — not a paralegal or case manager.

Paul A. Seckel — Attorney Guntersville AL

Paul A. Seckel

Founder  ·  Attorney at Law

JD, Birmingham School of Law. MBA, University of Alabama at Birmingham. Founded Guntersville Law, LLC in 2014. Personal injury, divorce & custody, criminal defense, and business law.

(256) 571-5012 Full profile → Schedule →
Emily Jolley Seckel — Attorney Guntersville AL

Emily Jolley Seckel

Attorney at Law

JD, Birmingham School of Law. Ed.S. & MS in Special Education. Former teacher and school principal. Estate planning, family law, and appeals. Daughter of Tim Jolley.

(256) 505-2528 Full profile → Schedule →
Tim Jolley — Former Circuit Judge, Attorney and Mediator Guntersville AL

Tim Jolley

Attorney & Mediator  ·  Former Circuit Judge

JD Magna Cum Laude, Birmingham School of Law, 1981. 12 years Chief ADA. 18 years Marshall County Circuit Judge. Still sits as Special Circuit Judge. Registered Civil & Domestic Relations Mediator.

(256) 571-5051 Full profile →

Note: Please replace Tim Jolley’s placeholder photo above with his actual headshot once uploaded to the media library.

Why Guntersville Law, LLC

A Former Judge in Your Corner

Tim Jolley presided over Marshall County’s Circuit Court for 18 years. His insight into how judges evaluate evidence, weigh credibility, and decide contested cases is not something most firms can offer — and it informs every case the firm handles.

Prosecutorial Knowledge

Before the bench, Tim spent 12 years as Chief Assistant District Attorney. Understanding how prosecutors build cases — what they prioritize, where they stretch the evidence — gives Paul and the firm a meaningful advantage in criminal defense.

Business Depth

Paul’s MBA from UAB is not a credential many attorneys have. It gives him substantive analytical depth in high-asset divorce cases, business valuations, economic damages in personal injury matters, and business law transactions.

Appellate Capability

Emily Jolley Seckel’s appellate practice means the firm can handle a case from initial filing through the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals and Alabama Supreme Court — without having to refer clients to outside appellate counsel.

Mediation Under One Roof

Tim Jolley is the firm’s registered Civil and Domestic Relations Mediator — available to mediate disputes for any parties, not just firm clients. Having mediation available in-house streamlines family law and civil cases significantly.

Flat-Fee Transparency

A $100 / 30-minute consultation for criminal and family law matters. Free consultations for personal injury cases (contingency fee — no recovery, no fee). No vague “it depends” fee structures on the front end.

What Makes This Firm Different

Decades of combined experience in personal injury, criminal defense, and family law — including a former judge who knows exactly how courts think. We’ve seen virtually every situation and know how to navigate it.

Legal problems are personal. Whether you’re going through a divorce, facing criminal charges, or recovering from an injury, we treat your situation with the care and empathy it deserves.

Local Knowledge That Matters

Paul Seckel has practiced in every Marshall County court for over a decade. Emily grew up in Albertville and knows this community. Tim Jolley presided in Marshall County’s Circuit Court from 1999 to 2017. When local knowledge matters — and in family law and criminal defense it almost always does — this firm has it.

Ready to talk to an attorney?

Schedule online with Paul or Emily, or call the firm directly. Consultations available Mon–Thurs 8am–5pm and Fri by appointment.

Call (256) 571-1529 →

Cities & Courts We Serve

Guntersville Law, LLC is based in Guntersville and practices regularly in every court in Marshall County and surrounding counties throughout North Alabama — including Jackson County (Scottsboro), Cherokee County (Fort Payne), DeKalb County, Etowah County, Blount County, Cullman County, and Morgan County.

Courts

Marshall County Circuit Court Marshall County District Court Marshall County Probate Court Guntersville City Court Arab City Court Albertville City Court Alabama Court of Civil Appeals Alabama Supreme Court

Cities & Counties Served

Guntersville Albertville Arab Boaz Grant Scottsboro Fort Payne Marshall County Blount County Cullman County DeKalb County Etowah County Morgan County Jackson County Cherokee County

What Clients Say

“Mr. Seckel is a great lawyer. He was very helpful and handled my divorce and child custody case very quickly. He answered all of my questions and was very kind when I was going through a very tough time. I highly recommend him to anyone who may need an attorney.”
— Verified Client  ·  Divorce & Child Custody
“Paul took the time to explain exactly what I was up against and what my options were — honestly, not just what I wanted to hear. He fought hard for me and got the outcome I needed.”
— Verified Client  ·  Criminal Defense  ·  Marshall County
“I cannot say enough about the professionalism and knowledge of this firm. They made a very difficult time in my life much more manageable. Emily was thorough and patient in explaining everything.”
— Verified Client  ·  Estate Planning
“Tim Jolley’s experience as a judge was invaluable during our mediation. He knew exactly what a court would and wouldn’t do, and helped us reach an agreement that actually worked for our family.”
— Verified Client  ·  Mediation  ·  Family Law

Read all client testimonials →

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions from people contacting Guntersville Law, LLC for the first time. If your question isn’t here, call (256) 571-1529 or schedule a $100 consultation.

Guntersville Law, LLC is located at 1320 Gunter Ave, Suite A, Guntersville, Alabama 35976 — in the heart of Guntersville, just minutes from the Marshall County Courthouse. Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Friday by appointment. Call (256) 571-1529 to schedule.
Criminal defense and family law consultations are $100 for 30 minutes — a flat fee with no surprise billing. Personal injury consultations are free. There is no fee for a personal injury case unless we win (contingency fee). You can schedule online with Paul at calendly.com/gvillelaw or with Emily at calendly.com/emilyseckelattorney, or call the firm at (256) 571-1529.
Guntersville Law, LLC handles seven primary practice areas: personal injury (car accidents, truck accidents, wrongful death), divorce and child custody, criminal defense (DUI, drug charges, misdemeanors, felonies), estate planning (wills, trusts, powers of attorney), appeals (civil and family law), mediation (civil and domestic relations), and business law. The firm does not handle immigration, bankruptcy, or Social Security disability matters.
Yes. While Marshall County is the firm’s primary service area, Guntersville Law, LLC regularly handles cases in Jackson County (Scottsboro), Cherokee County (Fort Payne), DeKalb, Etowah, Blount, Cullman, and Morgan Counties. Appeals are handled statewide through the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals and Alabama Supreme Court in Montgomery. Call (256) 571-1529 to discuss your specific county and courthouse.
Tim Jolley is an attorney and registered mediator at Guntersville Law, LLC. He served 12 years as Chief Assistant District Attorney in Marshall County and 18 years as Marshall County Circuit Judge for the 27th Judicial Circuit (1999–2017). He continues to serve as an Active Retired (Special) Circuit Judge by appointment of the Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. At the firm, Tim handles criminal defense matters, serves as the firm’s registered Civil and Domestic Relations Mediator — open to all parties, not just firm clients — and brings his prosecutorial and judicial experience to the firm’s litigation strategy. His direct line is (256) 571-5051.
Alabama courts apply the best interests of the child standard in all custody decisions. There is no automatic preference for either parent based on gender. Joint custody is presumed appropriate when both parents agree to request it — in contested cases, the court weighs a range of factors including each parent’s relationship with the child, stability, co-parenting ability, and the child’s expressed preference (given more weight as the child approaches age 14). The age of majority in Alabama is 19, not 18. Custody orders can be modified when there has been a material change in circumstances since the prior order. Alabama House Bill 147 (2026) proposes adding a rebuttable presumption of joint custody in contested cases — it has not yet passed as of October 2026. For a $100 consultation about your specific custody situation, schedule with Paul or Emily online.
A first-offense DUI in Alabama is a Class A misdemeanor carrying up to one year in jail, fines of $600–$2,100, a 90-day license suspension, mandatory substance abuse evaluation, and possible ignition interlock device requirement. Critically, you have only 10 days from your arrest to request an administrative hearing to contest the license suspension — missing that deadline means automatic suspension regardless of the criminal case outcome. The Devinee Rooney & John Wesley Holt Safe Streets Act, which took effect October 1, 2026, strengthened DUI consequences and introduced new mandatory minimums in cases involving injury or death. Call Paul immediately after a DUI arrest at (256) 571-5012.
Yes, under certain conditions. Alabama’s REDEEMER Act (2021) expanded expungement eligibility to include certain misdemeanor convictions after a 3-year waiting period, provided all fines and probation are completed, there are no new convictions during that period, and the conviction is not for a violent offense, sex offense, serious traffic offense (including DUI), or crime of moral turpitude. Alabama limits each person to two misdemeanor conviction expungements. Charges that were dismissed with prejudice, acquitted, or no-billed are eligible for expungement after 90 days. The court filing fee is $500. For cases that do not meet the conviction expungement criteria, avoiding a conviction in the first place — through dismissal, diversion, or acquittal — remains the best outcome.
Yes. In Alabama, assets that pass through a will must go through probate in Marshall County Probate Court before they can be distributed to heirs. Probate can take several months to over a year and involves court filing fees, publication requirements, and creditor claim periods. Assets that transfer by other means — such as beneficiary designations on life insurance, retirement accounts, and IRAs, or assets held in a properly funded revocable living trust — pass outside probate entirely. This is one of the primary reasons many Alabama families choose a revocable living trust over a will alone as the centerpiece of their estate plan. Emily Jolley Seckel handles estate planning and can explain both options in detail at a $100 consultation.
Alabama is one of only four states — along with Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina — that follow pure contributory negligence. Under this rule, if an injured person is found even 1% at fault for the accident that caused their injuries, they may be completely barred from recovering any damages. This makes early legal intervention critical in personal injury cases: statements you make to insurance adjusters, evidence at the scene, and accident reconstruction all matter immediately after an incident. The other side will look for any evidence that you contributed to the accident. Paul Seckel handles personal injury cases on a contingency fee — no fee unless we win — and offers free initial consultations. Call (256) 571-1529 as soon as possible after an accident.

Ready to Talk to a Guntersville Attorney?

$100 consultation for criminal and family law. Free consultation for personal injury. No pressure, no obligation — just honest answers about your situation and your options.

Schedule with Paul (256) 571-5012  ·  $100 / 30 min Schedule with Emily (256) 505-2528  ·  $100 / 30 min Call the Firm (256) 571-1529  ·  Mon–Thurs 8am–5pm

Guntersville Law, LLC  ·  1320 Gunter Ave, Suite A  ·  Guntersville, AL 35976  ·  Fax: (256) 486-9660

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