Gerald Stewart is an attorney in the Morgan Building on East Forsyth Street.
WHAT IS THE MORGAN BUILDING?
“It used to be the stables for the fire department’s horses back in the old days. The landlord re-did them.”
HOW LONG HAS
HE BEEN THERE?
Stewart has been a tenant since 1995. There are three other independent attorneys that operate out of the same building. At first, he practiced on the Northside. Later, he moved downtown to Broad Street and, in 1990, relocated to Liberty Street.
WHAT IS HIS
PRACTICE AREA?
Individual bankruptcies are the bulk of his solo practice, in addition to probate, guardianship, family law and the occasional criminal case.
HAS HE ALWAYS
HAD THIS NICHE?
“Initially, I did a lot of criminal and juvenile dependency work. Bankruptcy was just a matter of people constantly coming to me asking if I handled it or not. I figured I better start learning it.”
EVER WORK
ANYWHERE ELSE?
From his law school graduation until 1985, Stewart was employed by the State Attorney’s Office. He has been in private practice ever since.
LAND OF OPPORTUNITY
The son of underprivileged parents, Stewart was reared on the Eastside. His mother was a homemaker with an eighth grade education and his father only made it through the third grade. Along with three of his seven siblings, Stewart broke the cycle and went to college.
WHERE DID HE GO TO COLLEGE?
The University of Florida is where Stewart earned both his law degree and a bachelor’s degree in history.
WHY GO TO LAW SCHOOL?
“Originally, I was thinking of majoring in journalism but my style of writing did not fit. And, I was not particularly crazy about math. So I asked myself, ‘How can I make the best living with the least amount of math?’ That’s how I ended up in law.”
HIS BIGGEST CHALLENGE?
“Being a sole practitioner, keeping the business going day-to-day is a challenge. When I left the State, it was quite an adjustment not to have a steady paycheck.”
WHAT DOES HE LIKE BEST?
“I enjoy being able to assist people. People that file bankruptcy really are in a lot of financial trouble. They’ve gotten sick or laid-off work. Filing is a last resort; their house is in foreclosure or something like that. They don’t just file to get out of paying bills. People don’t like filing bankruptcy. You [as an attorney] are definitely dealing with people’s problems and family situations. I’m just happy to help people keep their houses.”
DOES HE SHOW THEM
HOW TO MANAGE T
HEIR MONEY?
“When they come in, I do counsel them to make sure filing bankruptcy is in their best interest. I go over their financial situation to decide if they need my help and, if so, what to file. In many cases, filing is not going to help. Once they do file, the Chapter 13 trustee [Mamie Davis] holds financial planning classes.”
TECHNOLOGY
AND THE LAW
“They are making a lot of changes in the bankruptcy courts. In the future, filing will be all electronic, so it will not be necessary to be as close by the courthouse. The new system will make things more convenient. I’m going to get into it next year.”
WHERE DOES HE LIVE?
The Westside is home to Stewart and his wife Betty. They share two daughters, Melanie and Sabrina, a college student.
BOOKWORM
Fantasy novels top Stewart’s must-read list. An old western or dining on Japanese food are other favorites, but his passion is his work as an elder at Chaffee Road Church of Christ.
— by Monica Tsai