Carolina Shores Family Lawyers

J. Denice (Payne) von Gnechten was born and raised in the Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina where her family of origin still resides. Her parents divorced when she was 15 so she has a special understanding of families transitioning through difficult periods, such as separation/divorce.  Denice attended East Burke High School, then the University of Denver . She transferred to the University of San Diego and spent a semester abroad in Oxford, U.K., graduating with honors with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology in 1989. After working as a litigation paralegal for a number of years in Denver,...

After more than a decade of practicing as a family law attorney, I know that when our clients contact us, they are typically making one of the biggest decisions of their lives. They each have somehow empowered themselves enough to make the journey to change what he or she has known…whether it was for one year or twenty years. I understand it is not always hard for everyone, but change affects us all. I see it with my clients. I saw it with my own parents. In hindsight, I have to believe that the events of my childhood led...

Huntersville divorce and family law attorney David Self has been practicing law for over 10 years. He focuses exclusively on family law matters, choosing to hone his skill in this important and impactful legal arena. David is Board Certified in Family Law by the North Carolina Board of Legal Specialization and is also a mediator, and he applies his expertise to his practice, fighting every single day for his clients’ rights and interests. David handles cases involving contested and uncontested divorce, divorce mediation, same-sex divorce, child custody, alimony, child support, modifications of orders, separation agreements, and more. He earned his...

Personal, Professional attention to select clients.

Annie Edmond is licensed to practice law in Florida and North Carolina. She is committed to the idea that no one should be lost in the shuffle of justice and continuously strives to advocate for her clients. Ms. Edmond is continuously involved in the community by assisting in pro bono efforts through Legal Aid, Justice Mattes and Wills for Heroes. Ms. Edmond received her Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central University School and her Bachelor of Arts in Criminology from the University of Florida. While in law school, she was an active member of the Public Interest Law Organization,...

Christina Clodfelter was raised in Statesville, NC, and is a graduate of Statesville High School. She received a B.A. degree in Political Science and English from the University of South Carolina in 2007. She then returned to North Carolina where she received her Juris Doctorate from the University of North Carolina School of Law. Ms. Clodfelter lives in Statesville and practices in the Statesville office. Ms. Clodfelter is excited to be practicing law in her hometown. She enjoys spending time with her family, who has strong ties to the Statesville community, and is an active South Carolina Gamecock fan.

Deirdre A. Farrington is a family law attorney and NCDRC-certified family financial mediator in Boone, North Carolina. She accepts cases in Watauga County and surrounding counties, including Ashe, Alleghany, Avery, Mitchell and Yancey Counties. She is a member of the North Carolina State Bar, the Watauga County Bar Association, the Virginia State Bar, and the Florida Bar Association.

Foil Law Offices is a law firm specializing in family and juvenile law, serving Durham, Orange, Alamance, and Chatham counties since 1976. Foil Law Offices has offices in Durham and Hillsborough North Carolina. The attorneys at Foil Law Offices practice law relating to marriage, divorce, alimony, child custody (including grandparent custody) and support, equitable distribution, enforcement of support, domestic violence, legitimation, and adoption. Foil Law Offices has successfully represented clients at the North Carolina Court of Appeals and the North Carolina Supreme Court.

Eva Freeman was born in upstate New York and raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Tau Delta honor societies. Eva consistently made the Dean's List and Chancellor's List, graduating summa cum laude with a 4.0 GPA. After obtaining her paralegal certificate from Duke University, she worked as a paralegal in family law, where she discovered her passion for helping clients navigate challenging situations. Eva then pursued her Juris Doctor at The University...

Former Prosecutor for 11th Judicial District where I handled thousands of criminal case for State of North Carolina. Went into private practice in 1998 and opened my own law from in 2004. My main focus is Criminal Defense, Domestic/Family Law, Traffic, License Restoration, and Personal Injury. Pride myself on providing excellent service to my clients and forging long term trusted relationships with my peers, judges and law enforcement.

Kelly L. Greene was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. Kelly attended high school at Woodberry Forest School in Virginia. He attended Wake Forest University where he earned a B.A. in English in 1996. He attended law school at Campbell University and received a J.D. in 1999. Kelly was admitted to the North Carolina State Bar in 1999. Kelly is a member of the Craven County Bar Association, serving as its President in 2003-2004. He is a member of the United States Eastern District of North Carolina, Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, the North Carolina Bar Association, and North Carolina Advocates for...

Attorney Van Apeldoorn majored in Trust and Wealth Management Pre-Law at Campbell University and graduated in 2018. After receiving her bachelor’s degree, she stayed to attend Campbell Law School and was active in several organizations, including the Christian Legal Society, Women in Law, and the Re-Entry Project. During law school, she was an Honor Court Justice, interned at the Craven County District Attorney’s office for two summers, and also had an externship with Judge Flanagan at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. After graduating from law school, Attorney Van Apeldoorn passed the bar exam...

Mr. Kistler is dedicated to serving the people of Carteret and Craven County in both criminal and domestic matters. In law school, Mr. Kistler graduated fifth in his class, Summa Cume Laude. Before law school, Mr. Kistler was a member of the Crystal Coast community for many years where he worked as a sports writer for the Carteret County News-Times.

Sydney J. Batch, J.D., M.S.W. is one of the founding partners of Batch Poore & Williams, PC. Sydney Batch grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. As a triple tarheel, Sydney received her Bachelor of Arts in English, a Master of Social Work and a Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The combination of her dual degree in law and social work provide her with a unique understanding of the often intersecting worlds of law and social work. Her primary practice areas are family law and child protective services Sydney is...

Divorce and family law attorney, James Tyler Brooks, represents residents of Raleigh, Cary, Apex and Durham, North Carolina in all aspects of divorce including: absolute divorce, spousal support (e.g., post separation support and alimony), child custody, child support and property division (equitable distribution).

Associate Attorney Breeden Law Office · Full-time Dec 2022 - Present · 1 yr 4 mosDec 2022 - Present · 1 yr 4 mos Senior Compliance Associate Fairview® Investment Services May 2021 - Nov 2022 · 1 yr 7 mos Law Clerk; Public Defender Allen County Public Defender · Full-time Aug 2020 - Dec 2020 · 5 mos Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States Law Clerk; Public Defender Marion County Public Defender’s Agency May 2018 - Aug 2020 · 2 yrs 4 mos Indianapolis, Indiana Contracts Team Associate Government Acquisitions · Part-time Jan 2020 - Aug 2020 · 8 mosJ Indiana, United States

Scott has lived in North Carolina all his life. He attended N.C State with hopes of becoming a scientist and then decided to study politics and philosophy. Scott graduated with highest honors in 1990 with double-major in political science and philosophy and for a brief time he considered graduate school in philosophy to be followed by a career teaching.

However, while at N.C. State he took a part-time job at a law office that did family law and quickly decided to go to law school and come back to that office and practice family law in Raleigh. In 1994 he graduated...

Carlton Willis is licensed by the North Carolina State Bar and limits his practice to family law. The focus of his practice is child custody, child support, alimony, equitable distribution of marital property, issues related to domestic violence and other legal issues arising from separation and divorce. Carlton was born in eastern North Carolina and grew up on a tobacco farm where he began working by the age of six. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a double major in psychology and communications. After working for UNC Hospitals he...

Corey McManus was born in Monroe, North Carolina where he attend Monroe High School and graduated in 1994. Corey attended the University of North Carolina Central in Durham, North Carolina on an academic scholarship. At North Carolina Central he majored in Political Science and minored in English and graduated with Honors in 1998. He then attended Law School at Campbell University as a Campbell Law Scholar and Robert A. Dyer Scholar. While there, Corey was a Campbell Law Observer Case Writer, competitor in the Judge Conrad Duberstein National Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition, North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers member and...

Family law attorney specializing in divorce, legal separation, property division, spousal support, child custody and visitation, child support, domestic violence, annulment, and modification.

The DeCosta Law Firm is a boutique firm that handles all "family" matters, including: divorce, custody, child support, spousal support, will drafting, as well as small business matters. At The DeCosta Law Firm, we consider small business matters a "family" matter as most of our clients are family-owned and family-operated businesses, who rely on us for our breadth of expertise in domestic relations and business matters.

Tiyesha N. DeCosta, Esq., received a Bachelor of Science degree, with a minor in Finance from La Salle University, in Philadelphia, PA. Upon graduation, she went on to work in various small...

My greatest attribute is the ability to fully invest myself in my clients. To a client, this means that I will do everything possible to understand your needs, to stand up and advocate for your interests, to fine tune every detail of documents created on your behalf, and to secure a favorable outcome in your case. I understand that when a client comes to our law firm, they are often feeling stress, whether from a difficult family issue, being a defendant in a criminal matter, or trying to plan for the future of their loved ones. My goal...

Family law is an often stressful, personal, and emotional matter. Whether I am representing a client as their attorney or serving as a family law mediator, I know it’s important to be responsive, prepared, and understanding of both the personal and legal implications of a family law case. My entire legal practice involves helping spouses and parents navigate an often tumultuous time in their lives and helping them through education, counsel, and legal advocacy towards a better, more stable, and more satisfying outcome. I pride myself on being able to help parties negotiate compromised settlements, either as an attorney or...