Gastonia Family Lawyers

Mr. Erik Ashman’s practice primarily caters to cases involving divorce, child custody / visitation, child support, domestic violence protective orders, adoption, separation agreements, pre-nuptial agreements, post-nuptial agreements, property division, equitable distribution, alimony, post-separation support and grandparents’ rights.

While growing up, Erik was involved in Boys Scouts of America, in which he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout after many years of dedication and hard work. He attended Elkin High School and is a three-time North Carolina State Champion in Tennis. Upon graduation from high-school Erik attended the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and earned a B.A. in Political...

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...

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...

Leigh Anne has dedicated her career to ensuring families are adequately equipped with the knowledge and tools to protect themselves and their loved ones. With over 20 years of experience working with families in various high-conflict situations, Leigh Anne believes her role as your attorney is to educate you and make the law easier for you to understand. As a divorcee, she has experienced the life-altering trauma of marital separation. As a mother, she knows firsthand how important it is to shield your children from such a difficult time. Leigh Anne also knows how crucial it is to be empowered...

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,...

Born and raised in Kannapolis, North Carolina, Ronnie Crisco is a proud alumnus of A.L. Brown High School. He graduated magna cum laude from Duke University with a degree in Public Policy Studies. In 2002, he received his law degree with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2005. While in law school, Mr. Crisco competed nationally as a member of the UNC Mock Trial Team, assisted indigent clients through the UNC Civil Legal Assistance Clinic, and served as editor on the UNC Journal of Law and Technology.

Mr. Crisco is a Board Certified Specialist in Family...

The Law Office of Kelli Y. Allen provides personalized, comprehensive professional legal services. Kelli represents immigration clients worldwide. Her immigration law practice focuses on family-based visas, adjustment of status, consular processing, unlawful presence waivers, naturalization, DACA, U-visas, removal of conditions, and some non-immigrant employment visas. Kelli is a member of the American Immigration Lawyer's Association and previously clerked with the Charlotte Immigration Court. Our North Carolina elder law practice consists of long-term care planning, asset protection, establishing long-term care Medicaid eligibility without having to "spend down", preparation and submission of NC long-term care Medicaid applications, and representation before the Department...

Practice Area Breakdown:
80% Family Law - separation, divorce, child custody, child support, spousal support, equitable distribution
20% Estate Planning - wills, living wills, trusts, power of attorneys

I am a native of Charlotte and graduated from Myers Park High School. After college and law school, I moved back to Charlotte and served as a police officer, and as an officer in the N.C. Army National Guard. I focus my law practice primarily on family law and estate planning.

I live in Huntersville with my wife and our four children. We both have children from previous relationships, and one child together. I thoroughly...

Charlotte Wills, Trusts, Probate Law, Estate Planning; Guardianships, Elder Law, Special Needs Planning, Asset Protection; Business Succession Planning; Estate, Gift and Income Taxation; Estate Administration; Business Law Mecklenburg County (Member, Tax Section) and North Carolina (Citizen-Lawyer Task Force) Bar Associations; South Carolina Bar (Member, Tax Section); Charlotte Women's Bar Association (Board Member; Secretary; Treasurer; Vice President; President, Past Chair); American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants (Member, Taxation Committee); Institute of Management Accountants; Charlotte Christian Chamber; Women's Initiative Network, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Western and Central North Carolina; Carolina Foster Kids Foundation Director. Order of the...

Divorce is tough. There’s no way around it. Divorce is stressful, intensely emotional, and overwhelming. It is the perfect storm of problems, from determining child custody arrangements, divvying up assets, and untangling previously tangled lives.

There’s where I come in. I’m Dustin McCrary, a divorce lawyer focusing on the needs of divorce and separation, child custody, child support, alimony and spousal support, property distribution, and domestic violence. And I’m here to help.

My clients would tell you that I have the natural ability to put them at ease. I have a calming presence and genuinely care about every person I meet. I’m...

Joel C. Harbinson attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated in 1977 with an A.B. degree and from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law in 1979 with a J.D. degree. He has been self-employed since 1979 as a criminal, domestic, and personal injury attorney in Taylorsville. In addition, Joel is a certified mediator in Superior Court cases, receiving accreditation from the N.C. Dispute Resolution Commission in 1998, and is a certified arbitrator in District Court cases. Joel is the former President of the 22nd Judicial District Bar Association (1987-1988, 1999-2000) and a...

My legal and business experiences enable me to offer clients a broad spectrum of professional services from the unique perspective of someone who is both an attorney and an entrepreneur.

Zachary D. Jackson graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Law. Prior to attending Law School, Mr. Jackson graduated Magna Cum Laude from Campbell University where he majored in Business Administration with a Specialty in Trust and Investment Management and minored in Financial Planning. Mr. Jackson also received his Masters in Business Administration from Campbell University. Mr. Jackson worked for several years as a Trust Officer with Bank of America prior to attending law school. Prior to opening his own law practice, Mr. Jackson worked with two law firms and held an...

Whether civil or criminal, the legal process can be very frustrating, intimidating, and the outcome may seem too uncertain. As such, Dmitriy understands the importance of maintaining prompt communication and step-by-step comforting guidance. He also strongly believes that every case is defensible and that every client deserves the utmost dedication and attention.

Dmitriy graduated from UNC Charlotte, Magna Cum Laude, with a degree in Finance. He further attended the Charlotte School of Law and graduated Cum Laude. Dmitriy now works as a Managing Partner at Biazzo & Panchenko Law, PLLC, and serves Charlotte and surrounding areas (Mint Hill,...

I am licensed to practice law in North Carolina, South Carolina & Tennessee. I am an attorney with McGrath & Spielberger, PLLC, where my areas of practice include real property (including loss mitigation and foreclosure defense) and business law. I received a Juris Doctor from Campbell University School of Law and a Master of Business Administration from Campbell University Lundy-Fetterman School of Business, as part of the joint JD/MBA program. I attended North Carolina State University and graduated with a B.A. in Psychology. Currently, I am pursuing an LL.M. (Master of Laws) postgraduate law degree in...

Kara Goodman is a dedicated, experienced, and compassionate lawyer who practices in the area of family law. As a child of parents that divorced before she was 10 years of age, Kara developed a passion for family law at an early age. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of North Carolina at Asheville, majoring in psychology and minoring in sociology. Kara ultimately settled in Charlotte, North Carolina where she obtained her Juris Doctorate and began her legal career. Kara spent her first two years of practice with a small law firm in Concord, North Carolina, spending...

I help people with the following types of cases: • Divorces (with and without children), • Modifications of prior court orders, • Contempt actions (when a party is not following a court’s order), • Father’s rights (legitimations, visitation rights, custody, and child support), • Grandparent visitation, and • TPOs (Temporary Protective Orders). I listen to my clients and work towards making their wishes a reality. I am also honest with my...

I am a licensed attorney in North Carolina. I graduated from Gardner-Webb University in 2014 and graduated from Liberty University School of Law in 2019. I was born and raised right here in North Carolina, and am passionate about the people of North Carolina and the needs they have. Myself, along with my two partners, started Fidelity Law Group, and our main practice areas include general business law, intellectual property law, employment law, criminal defense law, and family law. For me, I am the most passionate about criminal defense work as well as family law, but would be glad to...

Melone Hatley, PC attorney Charles D. Hatley has made a career of practicing family law because of the opportunity it gives him to help families through such a critical juncture. “I am passionate about helping individuals through trying times and protecting their rights so they can concentrate on their personal lives,” Mr. Hatley said. The divorce process can be highly confusing for many people. Getting bogged down in all the legal jargon and procedures can be incredibly frustrating when so much is at stake. Mr. Hatley walks through each step of the process to make sure his clients...

Matthew Moore was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, and attended college at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. During his undergraduate work, Matthew served as a member of the UNC Charlotte Pre-Law Society where he met his wife. He graduated on the Chancellor’s List, obtained a B.A. in Criminal Justice and Criminology and an Associate’s Degree in Spanish. While attending college, Matthew obtained a License from the North Carolina Justice Academy and became the youngest Concealed Carry Instructor in North Carolina. Upon graduation, Matthew attended law school where he served as a member of the Criminal Law Society, Family...

William Vásquez is a native of Queens, NY. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 2000-2007. He is a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom and received the Joint Service Achievement Medal for his work as a Spanish linguist for the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2005. William graduated from Campbell University in 2007 with a degree in computer science. He earned his J.D. in 2011 from the North Carolina Central University School of Law. His practice areas include immigration law and criminal defense cases. He is licensed and in good standing with the State Bar of North Carolina and...

The unknown is a scary place for any individual, especially for a person whose family is undergoing a significant transition through divorce, a child custody dispute, a domestic violence situation, or even a hopeful adoption. Although I cannot tell you exactly what course your situation will take, I can help you navigate the legal system while addressing each concern and question. I strive to educate my clients about the law so they can make informed decisions about what is most precious in their lives. Whether you are a business owner employing multiple individuals and supplying income for even...

Valerie grew up in Alabama and obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. During her undergraduate studies, Valerie became interested in the study and practice of law. She went on to attend the Charlotte School of Law, where she served as the president of the Trial Advocacy Board and had the opportunity to try cases in front of attorneys and judges across the country. Valerie has furthered her experience in the practice of law through her work with the nationally recognized Cochran Firm; and she has gained perspective from the bench by clerking...

Scott Lippert was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. He and his wife moved to North Carolina to start practicing law in 2013. He began his career in private practice before becoming a prosecutor in Burke, Caldwell, and Catawba Counties. Scott left the District Attorney's Office to partner with his wife and Richard Beyer to form Beyer & Lippert. Scott has served on several local boards and committees within the North Carolina 25th Judicial District. He is a State Board-Certified Specialist in North Carolina Criminal Law. Scott lives in Morganton with his wife, kids, and dogs.

The founding attorney and partner of Epperson Law Group, James L. Epperson, has served in the Navy JAG Corps before founding his family law practice in Weddington and Charlotte, North Carolina. In his work with the Navy, Attorney Epperson represented servicemen and women through courts-martial cases, as well as handling high-stakes negotiation for the release of Navy service members from foreign captors in the Middle East. This high-stress work has prepared him for the stressful and emotionally trying world of family law, where he provides counsel and litigation services, as well as mediation and arbitration, for those facing divorce, custody...

I grew up in the small town of Ahoskie, North Carolina, in the eastern part of the state. After I finished high school, I studied architecture at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. I developed an interest in aesthetics, form, proportion, and design. All these things are instrumental in my law practice, which, I believe, are to my clients’ advantage. After finishing college, I moved to Charleston, South Carolina, where I spent several years doing freelance architectural renderings and enjoying the beauty of the Lowcountry. After living in Charleston, I shifted gears to attend law school....

Originally from Poughkeepsie, NY, Tom now calls Charlotte, NC home with his wife and four kids. A seasoned criminal defense and family law trial attorney, Tom has made a name for himself in handling extremely contentious custody cases and high-level felonies. He has handled cases in both federal and state courts. Tom went to law school at Liberty University School of Law in Lynchburg, VA, where he graduated cum laude. While in school Tom interned at the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Virginia. While at the USAO, Tom helped prosecute all levels of criminal cases, from misdemeanor...