Photo Of David Purvis

All Family Law,
All Around the World SM

“I take the time to get to know you, learn your story, and understand your family dynamic”

David Purvis, Divorce and Family Law Attorney, Savannah

David Purvis

  • Partner Attorney

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Rated By Super Lawyers | Rising Star | David Purvis | Selected In 2018 | Thomson Reuters

 Rated By Super Lawyers | Rising Star | David Purvis | Selected In 2018 | Thomson Reuters  Rated By Super Lawyers | Rising Star | David Purvis | Selected In 2018 | Thomson Reuters Rated By Super Lawyers | Rising Star | David Purvis | Selected In 2018 | Thomson Reuters

Avvo 10.0 | David Benton Purvis | Top Attorney
Avvo Clients' Choice Award 2012 | David Benton Purvis | 5 Star
Reviews 5 Star Out of 23 Reviews | David Benton Purvis | Avvo
Avvo Clients' Choice Award | 5 Star
Avvo Rating 10.0 Superb
Rated By | Super Lawyers | Rising Stars | David Purvis | SuperLawyers.com
Rated By Super Lawyers | Rising Star | David Purvis | Selected In 2020 | Thomson Reuters
Rated By Super Lawyers | Rising Star | David Purvis | Selected In 2019 | Thomson Reuters
Rated By Super Lawyers | Rising Star | David Purvis | Selected In 2018 | Thomson Reuters
Avvo Rating 10.0 | David Benton Purvis | Top Attorney
Avvo | Clients'Choice Award 2012 | David Benton Purvis | 5 stars
Reviews 5 stars | Out of 23 reviews | David Benton Purvis | Avvo
Avvo Clients' Choice Award | 5 Star
Avvo 10.0 Superb

David Purvis advocates for families in Southeast Georgia including Chatham, Liberty, Bulloch, Effingham, and Bryan Counties. He also has extensive experience with Hague cases all over the world and frequently serves pro hac vice on intricate matters throughout the United States. His compassion and extensive knowledge and experience in handling complex family law matters, domestically and internationally, make him an asset to the Coastal Empire's legal community.

 

David is a Partner of The Manely Firm, P.C. in Savannah, Georgia and has established himself as a thought leader in family law. He has successfully argued in front of the Supreme Court of Georgia, Court of Appeals of Georgia, and has tried International Child Abduction cases in federal district courts in Florida and Georgia. David has heard appeals for the State's Child Abuse Registry, conducting hearings throughout Southeast Georgia as a Special Assistant Administrative Law Judge. He has served as the adjunct professor of Family Law at Savannah Law School and was the adjunct professor of Domestic Relations at Savannah Law School from 2015 to 2019. David has presented at Continuing Legal Education seminars for the State Bar Mid-Year Meeting and for the Savannah Bar Association over the last couple of years on the issues of current trends in family law and access to justice. He recently presented at the Family Law Institute Continuing Legal Education seminars on assisted reproduction law and surrogacy law in Georgia. David works closely with our Founding Attorney, Michael Manely, on complex family law matters throughout our firm's many offices in Georgia.

 

Located adjacent to Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield, David has extensive experience in handling military divorce, child support, and child custody cases. He possesses a keen understanding of the military community's unique procedures and policies and is devoted to assisting soldiers, veterans, and their families as they navigate complicated family law matters.

 

David is an active member of the community. He currently serves as the Wilmington Island Presbyterian Preschool Board Chair since 2022 and as an Elder with Wilmington Island Presbyterian Church since 2022 He served as a Deacon with his church from 2017-2020. David has served as an Ambassador for the Savannah Chamber of Commerce, as a member of the Savannah Bar Association, and on the Pro Bono Committee for the Georgia Legal Services Program.

 

David has presented at the Southeastern Association of Legal Assistants (SEALA)’s 2022 Annual Seminar. In 2023, he acted as a Co-Presenter for the Savannah Bar Association's Hot Topics CLE Family Law Case Law Update. David was proudly recognized by Savannah Magazine as a 2021 Best of Savannah "Best Lawyer" and Connect Savannah's 2022 and 2023 "Best Local Attorney" as well as recognizing David and his team as "Best Law Firm" and "Best Place to Work." He was also awarded by Savannah Morning News and SavannahNow.com as Best of the Coastal Empire's 2022 and 2023 "Best Overall Attorney," Best of the Coastal Empire's "Best Divorce Attorney," as well as leading the team to be recognized as a top-three finalists for Best of the Coastal Empire's "Best Law Firm." Finally, David was proudly named to Georgia Trend Magazine's Legal Elite 2022. Nominated by peers, Georgia Trend recognizes the top attorneys in 15 various fields of law each year. David was named a Super Lawyer in 2023 and 2024 and a Rising Star from 2018-2020.

 

David is a double alumnus from Georgia State University and graduated with a B.A. in history in 2001 and from the College of Law in 2010. During law school, he was the president of the Student Bar Association and received the Patrick Wiseman Moot Court Award. Prior to joining The Manely Firm, David had his own practice in Savannah and previously worked for Breakfield & Associates in Gainesville, Georgia where he had a general practice which included family law, criminal defense, and personal injury. Prior to law school, he managed stores in metro Atlanta for Guitar Center Stores, Inc., winning several national awards for his leadership.


Areas Of Practice

  • Family Law
  • Divorce
  • Custody and Visitation
  • Child Support
  • Adoption

Bar Admissions

  • Georgia
  • U.S. District Court Northern District of Georgia
  • U.S. District Court Southern District of Georgia

Education

  • Georgia State University College of Law, Atlanta, Georgia
    • 2010
    • Honors: Moot Court Board
    • Honors: Student Bar Association, President
    • Honors: Patrick Wiseman Moot Court Award
  • Georgia State University
    • B.A. - 2001
    • Major: History

Published Works

  • The Airport, The Manely Firm, P.C. Blog 2021
  • After Midnight, The Manely Firm, P.C. Blog, 2020
  • Settling Cases and Being Awarded For It, The Manely Firm, P.C. Blog, 2019
  • Audibles in Family Law, The Manely Firm, P.C. Blog, 2018
  • Grasping Family Law's Moral Center, The Manely Firm, P.C. Blog, 2017
  • Savannah Family Law Attorney Too Late, The Manely Firm, P.C. Blog , 2016
  • I do Family Law and 21 Other Practice Areas, The Manely Firm, P.C. Blog, 2015
  • Newsletters – David was featured in our Feb. 2022 Newsletter
  • Artificial Family Law Intelligence, or Lack Thereof, The Manely Firm, P.C. 2023
  • Good, Bad, or Somewhere in Between, The Manely Firm, P.C. Blog 2022
  • Inflation and Child Support, The Manely Firm, P.C. Blog 2022

Representative Cases

  • Rishmawy v. Vergara & Brooks, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Georgia, 2021, 4:21-CV-00035
  • Belliveau v. Floyd, Georgia Court of Appeals 2021 A21A0505
  • Vanterpool v. Patton, Georgia Court of Appeals, 2019
  • Turner v. Turner, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, 2018, 3:18-CV-1231-J-39PDB
  • Patton v. Vanterpool, 2017, Supreme Court of Georgia , S17A0767

Classes/Seminars

  • Adjunct professor, Family Law at Savannah Law School
  • Temporary Protective Orders 101, Georgia Legal Services
  • Adjunct professor of Domestic Relations at Savannah Law School from 2015 to 2019
  • Presenter for the Southeastern Association of Legal Assistants (SEALA) at the 2022 Annual Seminar
  • Co-Presenter for the Savannah Bar Association’s Hot Topics CLE Family Law Case Law Update

Honors and Awards

  • Super Lawyers Rising Star
  • Georgia Legal Services Program, Savannah Office, Pro Bono Service Recognition
  • AVVO 10.0 “Top Attorney Family Law, Divorce” AVVO “Client’s Choice” AVVO
  • Savannah Magazine Best of Savannah “Best Lawyer,” 2021
  • Connect Savannah’s “Best Local Attorney,” 2022-2023
  • Georgia Trend Magazine’s Legal Elite, 2022
  • Super Lawyer

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • Savannah Bar Association, Member
  • Georgia Legal Services, Program Pro Bono Committee Member, Present
  • Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, Member and former Ambassador, Present

Past Employment Positions

  • Breakfield & Associates

Pro Bono Activities

  • Ambassador for the Savannah Chamber of Commerce
  • Pro Bono Committee, Georgia Legal Services Program