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Meet the Magistrates
Chief Magistrate Joe Gallagher
Chief Magistrate Joseph S. Gallagher joined the Montgomery County Probate Court in December 1999 and has had the privilege to serve under three successive Probate Judges: Judge George J. Gounaris, Judge Alice O. McCollum and now, Judge David D. Brannon.
In his capacity as a Magistrate, he has overseen hundreds of cases including estates, guardianships, and trusts. Charged initially with hearing mental health cases for many years he would travel weekly to various area hospitals and institutions to hold in-person commitment and medication hearings with persons with mental health issues.
While working with Judge McCollum he helped with the implementation of the e-filing of probate documents as Montgomery County Probate Court became the first Probate Court in Ohio to require all case types to be electronically filed.
Appointed by Judge Brannon to be Chief Magistrate in February 2021, he has seen the Court expand the number of Magistrates and additional staff to better serve the citizens of Montgomery County with all their probate needs.
Magistrate Heather Shannon
Magistrate Heather Shannon joined the Montgomery County Probate Court in 2022. She is honored and privileged to serve with such an experienced and dedicated team. Prior to joining the Court, Magistrate Shannon practiced law for 15 years in the areas of probate and family law handling estates, guardianships, adoptions, divorce/dissolutions, child custody/support/parenting time cases, child abuse/neglect/dependency cases, and litigation in those areas. While practicing, she also protected the needs of those most vulnerable by serving as a guardian for the elderly and developmentally disabled and guardian ad litem for minors. Additionally, Magistrate Shannon was appointed by various Courts as a fiduciary in estates. Due to her experience, Magistrate Shannon understands the family dynamics involved in probate cases and provides a practical legal perspective to the Court.
Magistrate Shannon has also been a leader in the legal community as former President of the Greene County Bar Association and former Chairperson of the Grievance and Ethics Committee. She is currently an active member of the Ohio Association of Magistrates, Ohio State Bar Association, Dayton Bar Association, and Greene County Bar Association.
Since her appointment by Judge David Brannon, Magistrate Shannon has presided over numerous estate administrations, guardianships, name changes, minor settlements, mental health cases, and adoptions. She has also contributed to the drafting of the Court’s local rules and forms as well as the operation of the Probate Resource Center.
Magistrate Lisa Wiseman
Magistrate Lisa Wiseman serves to strengthen our community by protecting the interests of persons with incapacities, overseeing the administration of estates, and adjudicating probate matters fairly and efficiently. She is appointed to the Supreme Court of Ohio’s Advocacy Committee on Language Services; is an active member of the Dayton Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association, and the Ohio Association of Magistrates; and co-leads the DBA’s Women in Law Section.
Prior to joining the Court, Magistrate Wiseman earned board certification as an estate planning, trust, and probate law specialist and partnership with an esteemed law firm serving individuals, families, and businesses across the Midwest. She aptly advised clients on a broad range of personal, family, business succession, asset protection, and tax planning matters. As part of her practice, Magistrate Wiseman authored articles for a variety of professional journals and news publications, such as the Dayton Business Journal, Dayton Bar Briefs, Dayton Daily News, as well as presented lectures at numerous professional, educational, charitable, and civic conferences and events.
Magistrate Wiseman believes that communities succeed when people are willing to commit their time, energy, and abilities to working together to make that happen. She feels privileged and grateful to be able to serve our community in a meaningful way. In addition to her professional efforts, Magistrate Wiseman actively contributes to our community through leadership and volunteerism.