Tribunal Advocates

The Tribunal Advocate Program is a group of trained deacons and laypersons who provide canonical counsel to the lay faithful of the Archdiocese of Atlanta seeking a declaration of nullity in our Tribunal. Advocates have a formal role in the canonical trial and work to defend their party’s rights and advance their interests in the marriage nullity process.

Scroll down to find a complete list of commissioned Advocates and their contact information.

To become an Advocate, you must complete the Tribunal Advocate Training Program.  The course is conducted in person at the Chancery and virtually via the Microsoft Teams platform.  The curriculum consists of seven sessions covering marriage law, grounds of marital invalidity and the annulment process.  The sessions consist of instruction by a canonist, exercises, homework, quizzes, and a final exam.  Attendance at all sessions is mandatory.  In order to participate in these sessions virtually, you will need a computer with a camera, speakers and microphone.  Mobile devices are not acceptable. Qualified candidates will possess the following skills: organized, responsible, good pastoral/interpersonal skills, strong reading & writing ability, professional demeanor and capacity to maintain confidentiality and be in good standing with the Catholic Church.  Currently, the course is offered in English with some resources available in Spanish.  We plan to introduce a Spanish language version in the future.

You can apply to become a Tribunal Advocate Here. Along with your application, you will need to submit a letter of recommendation from your pastor.  You will also need to complete the VIRTUS safe environment program and a background check.  All applicants must have a social security number in order to be background checked. Taxpayer identification numbers are insufficient for performing a background check. If you are an active volunteer at your parish, you may have already fulfilled these requirements.  To sign up for the VIRTUS program please visit the Archdiocesan Safe Environment Training webpage.

If you have any questions, please call the Metropolitan Tribunal at 404-920-7500 or Tribunal@archatl.com.

Below is a list of Advocates commissioned to serve in the Archdiocese of Atlanta.  All Advocates have completed an extensive training curriculum covering marriage law, grounds of marital invalidity and the annulment process. If you are interested in petitioning for a declaration of nullity or just wish to learn more about the annulment process, please contact the Advocate in closest proximity to you.