At Held Law Firm, we are dedicated and prepared to guide our clients through this transition and into better days ahead. With nearly 3 decades of experience, Held Law Firm is the firm your family deserves.
Knoxville Family Law Attorney
Nearly Three Decades of Family Law Experience in East Tennessee
I’m Margaret Held, a private Knoxville family law attorney with nearly three decades of experience serving families across Knox County and East Tennessee. My family has called this community home for seven generations. I know what matters here — its values, its families, its land, and its people — and, after thirty years in its courtrooms, I know what endures and what truly deserves protection.
After years of managing a busy full-time law firm, I recently stepped away from that role. That decision didn’t mean retiring from the practice of law — it meant I could finally practice it the way it was always meant to be done. Free from the overhead of a large firm and the pressure to bill hours or expand, I now answer only to my clients and to the high standards I’ve honed over a lifetime of advocacy.
Truth, Strategy, and Real Advocacy in Family Law
Early in my career, my guiding principle was simple: speak the truth to power. It still is. I’ve never shied away from a hard courtroom battle, but three decades of family law practice have taught me that the most effective advocacy isn’t about drama — it’s about clarity, wisdom, and knowing when to fight and when to resolve.
Family law touches the most personal parts of life: divorce, child custody, alimony, and the careful division of a lifetime of work and assets. These matters deserve far more than formulaic, high-volume representation. They require thoughtful strategy, well-seasoned judgment, and a Knoxville family law attorney who understands the long-term consequences of today’s decisions.
Contact me today at (865) 685-4780 to arrange a confidential consultation.
Family Law Services in Knoxville & East Tennessee
As a private Knoxville family law attorney, I focus my practice on a select range of matters where thirty years of experience makes a genuine difference:
- Divorce — contested, uncontested, and high-asset divorce throughout East Tennessee.
- Child custody — protecting your relationship with your children through thoughtful, durable parenting plans.
- Alimony & spousal support — pursuing or defending fair support arrangements built to last.
- Division of assets — safeguarding the property, businesses, and wealth you’ve spent a lifetime building.
A Small, Selective Knoxville Practice
I deliberately maintain a small, highly selective practice, accepting only a limited number of cases each year — those where my thirty years of experience can make a genuine, lasting difference. This lets me provide the focused, white-glove attention that discerning clients in Knoxville and East Tennessee deserve.
Premium Representation for Those Who Value Excellence
My time is intentionally selective, and my fees reflect the rare combination I offer: deep local roots, three decades of courtroom and negotiation experience, and the freedom to devote my full attention to every client I choose to represent. In an era of large firms and assembly-line legal services, I provide something increasingly scarce — truly personalized, high-caliber family law counsel tailored to the unique needs of Knoxville families.
Schedule a Confidential Consultation with a Knoxville Family Law Attorney
Ready for thoughtful guidance through your next chapter? Whether you’re facing divorce, navigating a child custody matter, or working through complex family law issues in East Tennessee, I offer the experienced perspective and dedicated advocacy your situation deserves.
Facing a divorce or other family law issue? Contact us at (865) 685-4780 to arrange for a free phone or Zoom consultation to discuss the specifics of your case with a Knoxville family lawyer.
Areas of Practice
Nearly 30 Years of Experience in Family Law
Meet Our Advocates
Experienced. Dedicated. Kind.
Why Hire Held Law Firm?
"There isn't a better group in Knoxville"
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When You Hire One Attorney, You Hire the Entire Firm
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A True Passion for Standing Up for What's Right
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Our Goal Is for Every Client to Leave on Cloud 9
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Actively Involved in Improving Our Local Community
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A Team of Fearless Trial Attorneys
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Nearly 3 decades of Experience in Family Law
Client Testimonials
A Proven Track Record of Success
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After being married for over 40 years, I was at a point in my life that I no longer wanted to take care of every aspect of being in that situation. I felt it was time for me to start thinking more about my life and how I wanted to spend my remaining time that I have left. It was time for me to take care of ME. Thru a friend, I talked to a lady that works in family court and knows a lot about these matters. She gave me a list of 3 lawyers and M was the first on her list. I did talk to all 3 of them and M was the one I felt the most comfortable with. She was very understanding of my situation and was easy to talk to. She explained things and answered my questions in ways that were easy to understand. My husband tried his best to talk me out of the divorce and tried to ignore the situation all together. With M's help, I kept things moving along and was able to the divorce. Since he didn't contest any aspects of the divorce, M made sure all my desires and needs were met and granted by the judge. She is very professional and responds in a timely manner. She also is a very nice person with a good sense of humor. I highly recommend M and the staff of Held Law Firm. C. White- C. White
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"Held Law Firm were our warriors!"We live in California and needed a law firm to help us get custody of our 2 young (9 and 12 yo) grand nephews after their mother passed away. Held Law Firm were our warriors! They did not give us false hope and kept things in perspective though out the entire process. We had to fight for those boys and that's where the warrior part comes into play. The attorneys and support staff are really amazing! Keeping us informed and helping us to stay on task. It was difficult to be so far away but we finally went to court and we have been granted custody. WARRIORS! I highly recommend Held Law Firm! TB Northern California- TB Northern California
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Held law firm went above and beyond to help me with a case they don't normally do. I appreciate how dedicated they are to helping make sure the case goes well. I couldn't have had a better attorney helping me close my mom's estate. Thank you for all your hard work.- J.A.
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Newer to the Knoxville area and looking for a law firm to help us set up our will. M, with Held Law Firm, came highly recommended and have to say the reviews were right. She was responsive, patent with all our questions, and expertly walked us through getting all the documents we needed in order. Felt like we were in great hands with someone with lots of experience in this area of law. Would definitely recommend you reach out to Held Law Firm for all your legal needs and if you have the pleasure of working with her you won't be disappointed.- A. Witte
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Margaret and her staff make you feel very welcome from the beginning. Everyone in the office makes a difficult process a lot easier to go through. She and her staff are kind, thoughtful, patient, brilliant, and incredibly good at what you hire them to do! I highly recommend Held Law Firm!- J.W.
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"I was deeply relieved to find Held Law Firm"After interviewing almost every attorney in downtown Knoxville and finding them to minimize and plan to use a cookie cutter approach to my case I was deeply relieved to find Held Law Firm. They are the only legal team in the entire East Tennessee area that is attuned to the dire circumstances that are unique to divorcing a person with unresolved mental health issues. Trust me, I looked really hard. The team has been unfailingly supportive as they were dragged into the DCS allegations and custody drama that is too common when a diagnosed narcissist is a factor. Margaret Held even personally came to the scene of a mid divorce homicide attempt to speak directly with officers. I wouldn’t have gotten a badly needed Order of Protection without Held Law Firm being aggressive and taking my defense personally. Honestly, you cannot defend yourself from a narcissist without help. You cannot defend yourself against agencies without help. Held Law is local, women-owned, experienced, diverse, and supportive of your civil rights to their last breath. They are the team you need.- L. F.
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Margaret Held was excellent help with obtaining information on my divorce. She knew exactly what she was talking about and I feel confident that they are one of the best lawyer offices in Knoxville!- K. M.
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"A force to be reckoned with and thank God they were on my side"Short Version: M and C are a force to be reckoned with and thank God they were on my side. Do yourself a favor and go with them. **Worth the read if you are searching for a Lawyer** Long Version: M: I usually dread dealing with lawyers because of some bad experiences that I have had in the past. We have been taken advantage of, judged, and left with incomplete service before, and it is enough to leave a bad taste in anyone mouth when it concerns the legal system and lawyers in general. Then one day I had a trusted friend tell me about how they (and their friends) had great luck out of Held Law Firm. As much as I was nervous, I reached out to them, and to my surprise, a lovely, kind voice picked up the phone and listened to all my questions and got a consultation scheduled. I had dealt with a bunch of lawyers and never once did i see anything near the level of professionalism I experienced with M. She was polite, kind, sympathetic, and made me feel welcome. We decided to go through with her, and she guided us each step of the way and the pricing was reasonable and we didn't feel any pressure at all. M was so professional and organized that it was a landslide victory. You are awesome! Thank you so much! C: We had a 2 kid step-parent-adoption that needed to be done and we obviously were going back to Held because of the 10/10 service. M suggested (Not forced, she said she could take the case if we really wanted to stay with her. They are NEVER pushy) that we go through C because she was very experienced and literally just got done with a very similar case. I took her advice, because I trust her. We got the pleasure to sit down and talk with C who was eager to work with us and help us get our problem fixed. She was so wonderful to work with. She was so sweet to us and our children. She is very well spoken and gave us very clear instructions and worked with us every step of the way. I was so scared that the adoption wouldn't go through, and my kids wouldn't be safe, even though she was reassuring us the entire time. The entire thing went just like she said it would from day one. My gosh I have never seen a court case so one sided. She was so insanely organized that she had papers and forms ready to go 5 steps ahead of time. The judge was even impressed and complimented her for "really being on top of everything." Her foresight saved us from 2 more court appointments and 6 months of waiting. To beat it all this entire court session only lasted for about 10 minute after we went up. I thank GOD that I have had Held Law Firm in my time of need. Who knows what would have happened with my kids if I didn't. My kids have been bragging to everyone that will listed about their new names. -C, thank you from the bottom of our hearts!- R. F.
Plan, Execute, Thrive
When you hire one of our attorneys, you hire the whole firm. Our team of fearless trial attorneys are supported by a staff committed to meticulous preparation. We understand that these matters are highly personal and incredibly emotional, which is why we will support and guide you on what steps to take and the impact your choices will have on your future. We will all know you and your case, and we will bring together the unique talents of everyone in this house to achieve the best future for you.
Our motto: you can fix a bad marriage with a good divorce.
At Held Law Firm, we have a passion for family law and the people it protects. The most rewarding moments of our job are the victories we win for our clients. We diligently work for you and do everything possible to empower you throughout the legal process. Whether you are facing a complex divorce, a child custody dispute, or some other divisive family law issue, we give you our all. We are dedicated to using our years of experience, well-developed legal and negotiation skills, and aggressive approach to stand up for you and your future. When you come to us, you will be treated like family.
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