Paula Elaine Kapiloff was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on August 22, 1959. She is single and has no children.

Paula graduated from Griffin High School in 1977. She received a BA in Economics and Political Science from Randolph-Macon Women's College (Lynchburg, VA) in 1981. She received an MBA in Accounting and Finance from the Owen School of Management at Vanderbilt University (Nashville) in 1983. She received a JD from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University (Macon) in 1991.

Paula currently lives in Macon, Georgia, where, since 1991, she has been a criminal defense attorney.

In July of 1998, Paula was appointed Jurist of the Juvenile Court of Macon County, Georgia.