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Melissa Averett
NC Board Certified Family Law Specialist
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Biography
I love practicing law. Guiding clients through the stress and upheaval of divorce, a custody battle or the aftermath of a death in the family is position of trust that I take seriously. Drafting an amicable separation agreement, or completing an adoption efficiently with as little drama as possible is equally important. I have been a NC Certified Family Law Specialist since 2009. My law firm handles divorce, custody, child support, alimony, property division, grandparents' rights, domestic violence, tort claims and personal injury, prenuptial and separation agreements, estate planning and administration in Chatham, Orange and Durham counties.
Practice Areas
- Divorce
- Contested Divorce, Property Division, Same Sex Divorce, Spousal Support & Alimony, Uncontested Divorce
- Family Law
- Adoption, Child Custody, Child Support, Paternity, Prenups & Marital Agreements, Restraining Orders, Same Sex Family Law
- Domestic Violence
- Domestic Violence Restraining Orders, Victims Rights
- Estate Planning
- Health Care Directives, Trusts, Wills
- Probate
- Probate Administration, Probate Litigation, Will Contests
Additional Practice Area
- Tort claims from Sexual abuse/Domestic Violence
Fees
- Credit Cards Accepted
Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
- North Carolina
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Languages
- English: Spoken, Written
Professional Experience
- Managing Attorney
- Averett Family Law
- - Current
- Family Law firm representing clients in cases involving divorce, custody, probate, estate planning and personal injury
- Founder and Executive Director
- DVC Legal Services, Inc.
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- Non profit law firm representing indigent domestic violence victims in Orange and Chatham County, NC
Education
- North Carolina Central University School of Law
- J.D. (1998)
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- Honors: Magna cum laude
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Awards
- SuperLawyer
- SuperLawyer
- SuperLawyer
- SuperLawyer
- SuperLawyer
- SuperLawyers
- SuperLawyer
- SuperLawyers
- SuperLawyer
- SuperLawyers
Professional Associations
- North Carolina State Bar
- Member
- Current
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- Judicial District 15B bar - Orange and Chatham County
- Member
- - Current
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- NC Bar Association
- Member
- - Current
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- NC Bar Domestic Violence Committee
- Member
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- Activities: Draft and recommend changes to NC statutes on domestic violence
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Publications
Speaking Engagements
- Domestic Violence Primer, NC State Bar Paralegal CLE, Cary, NC
- Child Support: When Can You Deviate from the Guidelines?, NC Justice Academy CLE, Cary, NC
- Representing Clients Seeking DVPOS and No Contact Orders, NC Centtral University School of Law CLE, Durham, NC
- Child Custody and Domestic Violences, Law to the People Cle, Rlaeigh, NC
- Obtaining Civil Domestic Violence Protection Orders in NC with Professor Deria Hayes, Law to the People CLE, Durham, NC
Certifications
- NC Family Law Specialist
- NC State Bar
Legal Answers
300 Questions Answered
- Q. How can I get a divorce if my husband refuses due to child support concerns?
- A: To be blunt, you need to come up with the money to pay an attorney a flat fee to divorce him. But if you want to get child support that's a separate issue. You can go to child support enforcement on Monday and pay them $25 and they will go after him for child support whether you're divorced or not.
- Q. Assistance needed for emergency guardianship petition for 18-year-old with mental health issues.
- A: You can certainly hire an attorney to gain guardianship of your daughter. You need to pick an attorney in the county where she is residing or the county where you reside.
- Q. I live in north Carolina is a P. O. A still valid in the state of North Carolina after death or do i need a will
- A: A power of attorney is not effective after death. You need a will. To make sure the will does what you want it to do, you should have an estate planning attorney draft, or at least, review it.
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