Climax Family Lawyers

I represent clients going through divorce and family law issues, including separation agreements and prenuptial/premarital agreements, alimony, equitable distribution, child support and custody. I mediate cases for spouses that cannot reach a resolution on their own. My divorce practice across North Carolina gives me a wide range of experience on how judges rule.

I created a free downloadable North Carolina Child Support Calculator which reflects North Carolina's statutes. This can be found by contacting our firm.

Other attorneys also hire me to mediate their clients' disputes prior to going to court. I advance the practice and knowledge of law for...

John G. Miskey IV is a board certified specialist in Family Law and leads the Firm’s Family Law department. He has maintained an interest in Family Law, families and policy throughout his educational and professional career.

Mr. Miskey’s character and work ethic was forged in his childhood. His first job was delivering daily newspapers through the snow-filled neighborhoods of Buffalo, NY. Very close with his family, he chose to attend local schools for his education. Mr. Miskey graduated summa cum laude from Niagara University and obtained his Juris Doctor degree from The State University of New York at Buffalo with...

As a trial lawyer, I have considerable experience representing persons in both the criminal and civil courts.

My practice focuses on litigation, including personal injury, family law, and general civil litigation matters. We represent business owners, consumers, and injured persons.

My practice also includes business formations, contract drafting and review, and estate planning.

I am an experienced and dedicated attorney serving Alamance and Guilford Counties. My practice areas include criminal defense representation for DWI, Traffic Matters, Felonies and Misdemeanors. Additionally, I represent clients with Divorce, Separation, Child Custody and Support, Domestic Violence, and 50 B/C law matters.

I received a B.A. in History from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in 1998. My J.D. was earned from Campbell University in 2006. Following Law School, I was an Assistant District Attorney in Alamance County, North Carolina for four years. I then opened my own law firm.

At Brad Buchanan Attorney...

Courtney Roller is a licensed North Carolina attorney and counselor at law. She earned her law degree from Elon University School of Law. Prior to law school, Courtney attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earned a B.A. in journalism and mass communication. She is a certified legal observer with the National Lawyers Guild and a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and Red4NC. In 2013 Courtney was recognized by the National Association of Women Lawyers for her achievements, motivation and drive. in 2015, Courtney was elected secretary of the District 22b Bar Association. She is a member...

Mr. Payne is the CEO & Managing Partner of Apple Payne Law, PLLC, which he co-founded with retired attorney Bill Apple after owning his own firm Payne Law, PLLC. Mr. Payne's practice areas are estate planning, probate & business advising, and the firm also has family law and real estate teams to serve the full family's needs. Mr. Payne started the practice of law when he founded Payne Law, PLLC after graduation from the Wake Forest University School of Law in 2011. Before attending Wake Forest University School of Law, Mr. Payne attended Florida Coastal School of Law, where he was...

Derrick Hensley is a Child Welfare, Family, and Immigration lawyer who manages a small law firm in Hillsborough, North Carolina. Derrick founded his own firm in order to ensure he could take cases that make a real difference for his clients, and to ensure that his practice always observed the highest principles of the legal profession. Derrick is dedicated zealously advocating for his clients and to fostering an open, communicative attorney-client relationship based on trust and honesty.

Derrick's firm has practices in several fields of law, focusing on the intersections between them, including international family law, humanitarian and family immigration, and...

For more than a decade, attorney Autumn Osbourne has provided skilled representation to North Carolina families in the courtroom and at the negotiating table. She is Board Certified by the North Carolina Board of Legal Specialization - a distinction held by less than 2% of all family law practitioners in the state - and has been recognized for her work by independent attorney rating organizations including but not limited to Thomson Reuters' and Avvo. However, for Autumn, the practice of law involves more than zealously advocating on behalf of clients and adhering to the profession's rules of ethics. "I feel every family...

For over 20 years, Julie has effectively advocated for individuals in family law matters in Durham and Orange County courts. A Mediator and Collaborative Divorce practitioner, she is a skilled and experienced negotiator, using creative problem-solving techniques to achieve excellent results. Julie graduated from UNC Law School in 1990. Following her association with the Durham law firm of Pulley, Watson, King & Lischer, she established her own family law practice in 1997. Focuses on finding practical, efficient solutions to her clients' legal problems, Julie helps her clients minimize financial difficulties and uncertainties and reduce parenting conflicts...

Barbara graduated from the North Carolina Central School of Law with honors in 2005. She was an Associate with the family law firm of Donna Ambler Davis in Chapel Hill before she established her own family law practice in May, 2008. Barbara works to establish strong, positive relationships with her clients and helps them navigate the emotional upheavals of divorce, achieve financial stability, and reduce the stress that divorce places on children. Whether in negotiation or litigation, she is a tough and determined advocate working to protect the best interests of her clients. In 2013, she completed training as...

Sara Barlowe is an associate attorney at Bagwell Holt Smith where she practices in the Firm’s Family Law department. Sara joined the Firm in July of 2020 shortly after relocating to the Research Triangle area from Astoria, Queens with her family and their two cats. While in New York, Sara worked as an Assistant District Attorney with the Bronx District Attorney’s office where she focused primarily on domestic violence and special victims cases with the exception of a year-long stint in the office’s Special Investigations Division where she handled long-term wiretap investigations. Sara received her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Benjamin...

Matthew Burkert was raised in Durham, North Carolina, and still resides in the same area he grew up in. He is a graduate of East Carolina University, where he received a bachelor’s degree majoring in Criminal Justice in 2008. Matt then attended North Carolina Central University School of Law, earning his Juris Doctor degree in 2012. He passed the North Carolina Bar Exam in February, 2013, becoming a licensed attorney in the State. Matt joined the Constantinou Law Group, PA as a law clerk while in law school in 2010. He remained at the firm after passing the bar, becoming...

Barri Hilton Payne was born in High Point, North Carolina and grew up in Davidson County. She attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she majored in Religious studies and Sociology. Barri practiced for the last twelve years as a founding partner in the firm Brock, Payne & Meece, P.A. before opening her own solo law and mediation practice in 2013. Barri was involved with the Holderness Moot Court while in law school at UNC and earned her law degree in 1999. She has practiced in Durham, North Carolina since that time and concentrates her practice on...

Keith Stroud is a 25+ year veteran of the practice of law. Keith supports businesses in the Triad, spouses going through a separation and divorce, individuals and couples through estate planning, executors and administrators handling the estate of a loved one, and seniors and their family members in long term care and asset protection matters. He provides a straightforward and comprehensive approach to legal representation, and offers unique solutions designed to meet the goals of his clients.

While Keith’s practice is structured to help his clients avoid litigation, he is first and foremost a trial lawyer. His civil and past criminal...

Eleanor Panetti is a Winston-Salem lawyer who has been practicing family law for nearly three decades. Eleanor provides comprehensive legal counsel to men and women involved in family law disputes, to spouses creating and expanding families through adoption, and to those protecting and caring for children of family members. She is skilled and experienced in all matters related to divorce, custody and paternity, property settlement and support, the legal issues unique to the LGBT community, and those specific to senior populations.

Eleanor is passionate in her representation of people involved in family disputes, whether through divorce, supporting parents through child custody...

Ellis Family Law, PLLC was founded in 2008 by board certified family law specialist Gray Ellis with the singular goal to provide the very best legal representation to North Carolinians facing challenging family law issues. Since that time, the firm has successfully represented hundreds of husbands, wives, children, grandparents, and other family members in courts across the state. Our work has not gone unnoticed as the firm has earned awards from both national and local organizations such as Super Lawyers, Martindale Hubbel, North Carolina’s Legal Elite, NC Lawyer's Weekly Power List, NC leader's in the Law, and the...

John Barrow has 27 years of Trial Experience in District and Superior Court in Piedmont North Carolina, Primarily Forsyth County, Kernersville and Winston Salem, NC. John is a relentless advocate inside and outside the courtroom. Enjoys an excellent reputation among the Forsyth County Bar and clients alike. Aggressive, knowledgeable and effective. Award winning Criminal Defense. Publishes an annual Law Calendar addressing DWI and Criminal laws and issues in trials and sentencing. Prior life - Grocery store manager, carpenter, mechanic, restaurateur, Racer. Enjoys - Life, Wife and Family - Plans and Projects. ...

Attorney Rebecca Poole brings a powerful combination of skill, passion, and advanced training to the practice of law. Certified by both the North Carolina Board of Legal Specialization and Center for Cooperative Parenting, Rebecca has established a reputation for excellence – and results – in the areas of mediation, arbitration, litigation, and the collaborative divorce process. She also assists the firm’s clients in developing comprehensive estate plans that ensure family members and financial affairs are protected and preserved. Over the course of her legal career, Rebecca has maintained an unwavering commitment to achieving client goals, even when faced with challenging...

Attorney Amro Elsayed, Esq., immigrated from Egypt to the United States in 2001 to live the American dream and to advance in his education and career. He attended business college in New York City and then moved to North Carolina. Attorney Elsayed established several businesses and was very engaged in several minority communities advocating for their rights. In 2018, Attorney Elsayed attended law school at North Carolina Central University where he received his Juris Doctorate degree in just two years. Attorney Elsayed is licensed in both North Carolina and Vermont. As an immigrant himself, Attorney Elsayed knows the complex immigration...

Julia received a BA in Criminology and BA in Sociology from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Julia went on to earn her J.D. from Thomas M. Cooley Law School (N/K/A Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School), in Lansing, Michigan. During law school, Julia competed in the Mock Trial First Year Competition and was a semifinalist. She also competed in Moot Court and was a finalist in the Negotiations Competition. During her last semester of law school, Julia completed an externship at the Durham County Public Defender’s Office. Julia is an associate attorney in the Family Law department. Julia focuses...

Emma Tillotson did not know she would find her calling in family law. Emma received her undergraduate degree from Clemson University cum laude in Psychology and Criminal Justice, with a minor in Sociology. She left her home state of South Carolina to attend the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University, where she graduated cum laude. During her legal studies she found her passion representing people going through difficult family transitions. She participated in the family law clinic representing underprivileged residents of Raleigh in their family law needs, was an active member of Law Students Against Sexual Assault...

Amanda Knight represents clients in a wide range of family law matters including divorce, child custody and support, domestic violence, spousal support, and equitable distribution proceedings. She also provides trusted counsel to clients throughout the estate planning process. A graduate of North Carolina Central University School of Law, Amanda brings a passion and commitment to achieving client goals, while maintaining civility and professionalism in the practice of law. “Changes in the family, especially ones involving legal proceedings, are always challenging. Our job as attorneys is to take as much of the burden off our clients as possible, and also reassure them that...

Sarah Gerow believes that the role of a family law attorney is that of a patient counselor and a staunch advocate. Sarah knew from a young age that she wanted to be a lawyer, and her desire to advocate for others developed while working with children with disabilities as a summer camp counselor during college. This led Sarah to the University of North Carolina School of Law, where she focused on education and family law. After marrying her husband, a member of the North Carolina Army National Guard, she worked as an associate at Sullivan & Hilscher Family Law, specializing...

Kirsten Alderdice grew up in New England and Charlotte, NC, and relocated to the Triangle in 2014. She obtained her BS degree in English Education from Boston University and her M.Ed. from North Carolina State University. Kirsten then spent eight years teaching middle and high school English. During her public school teaching experiences advocating for children with different educational needs, she decided that law school would be her best path to help families navigate transitions and the court system. She joined Ellis Family Law while attending North Carolina Central University School of Law’s Evening Program in 2022. To family law,...

In 2012, Sharon Thompson became Of Counsel to NicholsonPham. She has been in private practice since 1976 and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the areas of family law, including all aspects of adoption and family formation through assisted reproduction and surrogacy; estate planning, including wills, trusts, powers of attorney and probate administration; and LGBT legal issues. In 2010, Sharon became the first female attorney in North Carolina to be accepted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys. A significant portion of Sharon’s practice has been devoted to providing advice and services to LGBT...

I help people who are facing felony and misdemeanor criminal and traffic charges and driver’s license revocations. I also represent people on a wide array of family law issues such as Separation and Divorce, Child Custody and Support, and Alimony and Equitable Distribution, and I assist landlords and tenants with residential and commercial leasing disputes. I have been a criminal defense attorney since the beginning of my career. I worked as an Assistant Public Defender in both Gaston and Durham Counties, before I decided to move to private practice and left the Public Defender’s office to...

Attorney Val Cesanelli handles family law cases for our firm, with a focus on child custody cases and matters arising out of the process of separation and divorce, such as separation agreements and questions of spousal and child support. Val also handles other family related cases, such as paternity actions, legitimations, name changes and changes in birth certificates, as well as provides drafting services of powers of attorneys and simple wills.

Val is as much a litigator as she is a counselor at law for her clients. As a mother of three children and three stepchildren, Val is both professionally and...

Daniel Krchnavek is an attorney licensed to practice law in North Carolina. He is a member of the Wake County Bar Association and the North Carolina Bar Association. Daniel mostly practices in Chatham, Durham, Harnett, Johnston, and Wake counties. The majority of his practice involves family law, including, but not limited to: adoptions, alimony, child custody, child support, divorce, equitable distribution, guardianships, and postseparation support. When not practicing law, Daniel enjoys spending time outdoors with his family.

Solo Attorney focusing on Family/domestic law and real estate law providing prompt, professional, courteous service since 1996.

As a small dedicated law firm, we represent clients involved in marital disputes. Our knowledge of the law allows us to aggressively represent you when you need someone on your side. We represent people who need help in the following Domestic/Family Law areas: family and domestic law including; child custody, support, alimony, divorce, and property distribution.

I have practiced law for 29 years and have over that time handled thousands of cases in court. My practice focus is Family Law cases involving child custody, grandparent and third-party custody, divorce, alimony and property distribution.

Kelly was born and raised in North Carolina, and currently lives in Hillsborough, North Carolina with her wife and daughter. Kelly has worked with the seriously mentally ill, at risk youth, troubled families, domestic violence aggressors and victims and as an intake counselor for a four county area in NC. She has extensive training as a mediator As an attorney, she has represented defendants with serious felony offenses through negotiated pleas or jury trials to verdict. She has represented a wide variety of clients in negotiated and litigated family law matters and believes that negotiation should always be pursued...

I am a board certified Family Law Specialist and have practiced predominantly Family Law and all issues relating to Family Law since my licensing in 2002. I am committed to representing my clients and advocate strongly for my clients both in and out of the courtroom.

In 1977 I started my practice as a Forsyth County lawyer, and eventually came to practice throughout Triad. I have come to enjoy family law cases. What I mean by that is I enjoy the challenge of handling any legal issue which directly affects any member of either an ongoing or dissolving family. That includes criminal, traffic, divorce, separation agreements, prenuptial agreements, domestic restraining orders (50-B) juvenile cases, child custody, post separation support, alimony, equitable distribution, wills, trusts, estates, probate, real estate, personal property issues, and traffic, to name a few. A good lawyer will enjoy the technicalities involved in...

With an engineering degree and MBA, I started my career as an in-house consultant in the aerospace industry. After a few years I transitioned to engineering and consulting positions in other industries. Eventually I returned to college for a law degree and have been a courtroom lawyer for more than 20 years.

Attorney Justin Nichols practices family, personal injury, and criminal law in Chatham, Orange, Durham, and Wake Counties. He joined Averett Family Law in 2012, after practicing in the fields of personal injury defense, workers’ compensation, and complex construction litigation.

Justin has extensive experience in the courtroom litigating cases, as well as helping clients negotiate out-of-court settlements. He has handled cases before state administrative agencies, the state superior and district courts, the North Carolina Justin Nichols Associate Attorney Pittsboro Siler City Court of Appeals, and the federal district court.

Justin graduated cum laude from Campbell University School of Law in Raleigh, North Carolina,...

James is a North Carolina Board Certified Specialist in Federal and State Criminal Law and Family Law with a trial practice in criminal, domestic, and general litigation. He is deeply committed to excellence and professionalism in the practice of law, having served on the North Carolina State Bar Specialization Criminal Law Committee, the North Carolina State Bar Board of Continuing Legal Education, and was Issue Planning Editor of the Law Review at Regent University. James also lectures at criminal, family law, and trial practice continuing legal education (CLE) programs, and is regularly designated by the Capital Defender as lead counsel...