Efland Lawyers

Clients often ask me about the "boutique" nature of my practice which I have limited to immigration matters only. There are several reasons why my practice is limited to only immigration matters.

First, all areas of law have become complicated. Government regulations, constantly revised administrative guidelines and rules, and many court cases impact any area of law practice. I think it is difficult to be a "general practice" lawyer in 21st century America. I am not comfortable "shooting from the hip" in my legal practice. Rather than be a "jack of all trades" I'd rather...

Thomas W. Smothers offers the necessary expertise to negotiate with the State regarding your charges. When prosecutors are forced to deal with our firm, they realize that we have what it takes to go to trial. Keeping this in mind, Attorney Smothers is always able to negotiate from a position of strength.

Drew Brown founded this law firm in 2006. He believes strongly that his first and foremost role as an attorney is to advocate for his clients. At age 42, he is already an experienced trial lawyer who has appeared on behalf of clients in contested hearings in over 50 different courthouses throughout the Carolinas. In an era where cases often settle before litigation or at mediation, Drew Brown has repeatedly taken personal injury and business disputes to trial. Brown distastes wasted legal time in hourly matters as he believes reducing the attorney fee burden on the client can be as...

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).

Lifelong Raleigh resident Andrew Sandman decided to begin his own criminal defense firm in 1995. Ten years later, he and Bill Finn became law partners and, soon after, welcomed Trey Fitzhugh into the partnership as well. Prior to beginning his own firm, Attorney Sandman attended North Carolina State University where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Business Management in 1990. Immediately after college, Attorney Sandman was accepted to The Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University. While at Campbell, Andrew started an internship with the Wake County District Attorney’s Office and worked there during both his second...

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...

Business law in Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Estate Planning Attorney in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Commercial litigation and business dispute lawyer in Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

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...

Having never set foot in North Carolina prior to his orientation at Elon University, Adam sometimes describes his initial decision to relocate to the state as 'the collegiate equivalent of throwing a dart at a map.' However, he is also very quick to point out that it's his love for the state and its people that have kept him rooted here for nearly twenty years.

After obtaining two Bachelor of Arts degrees at Elon University, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude and was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, a recognition of those in the top 5% of the...

I began my legal career in private practice in Eastern North Carolina, where I represented both individuals and businesses in various areas including civil litigation, family law, fiduciary litigation, and criminal defense. I later moved my practice to Raleigh, North Carolina, and took on the role of a Post-Conviction Attorney with North Carolina Prisoner Legal Services, Inc. Subsequently, I served as an Assistant Public Defender at the Guilford County Public Defender’s Office in Greensboro, North Carolina. In this capacity, I represented clients in both District and Superior Courts, focusing on providing client-centered criminal trial-level defense. In May 2018, I was appointed as...

Tyler Brooks represents clients throughout the United States in cases involving free speech, religious liberty, and individual rights. He also represents clients in complex business litigation, employment disputes, and bankruptcy matters, as well as in business transactions and estate planning. Before starting his own practice, Tyler worked for six years, first as an associate attorney and then partner, at a civil litigation firm based in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he primarily represented railroads and other clients in the transportation industry. Much of this work focused on wrongful death and serious personal injury cases as well as employment law,...

Federal Practice: • Member of the United States Supreme Court Bar • Accredited Attorney by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs • Admitted to practice before the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims State Practice: • Member of the North Carolina Bar since 1994 • Licensed to practice in all NC Courts and Eastern NC Fed. District Court Memberships: • Member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys • Member of the National Organization of Veterans Advocates Teaching: • MBA, concentrations in Finance and Decision Sciences • Traditional and online college instructor for 6 years • Founder of CLE.LawDox continuing legal education courses for attorneys • Founder of mentoring.LawDox teaching the business of law

Nan is a former high school social studies teacher, basketball and track coach who decided on a second career in law. Following law school, she clerked for Justice John Webb at the North Carolina Supreme Court before entering private practice. For the past 16 plus years, Nan has engaged in a practice rich in construction, commercial collections and bankruptcy litigation. She is a North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission mediator certified in the superior court mediation program. In her spare time, Nan enjoys volunteering with various professional and civic groups including a 20+ year career coaching youth...

Joseph P. Tunstall is a trial lawyer through and through, having been successful in numerous personal injury, auto accident, Social Security, and workers’ comp cases, many of them before a jury. He has handled cases at both the federal and state levels, including the Supreme Court of North Carolina. Joe has tried close to 100 jury trials to verdict always representing the injured and never corporations or insurance companies in Eastern North Carolina. If you ask other lawyers who handle personal injury they know Joe tries his clients’ cases to juries. He is on the Board of Governors for the...

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

First-generation American Attorney Kathy H. Lucas is a former New Jersey resident who now lives and works in Raleigh, NC where she practices family law exclusively. Attorney Lucas devotes her considerable legal knowledge and skills to such issues as divorce, child custody and support, post-separation support, division of marital property, separation agreements, adoption, and other family law issues. She also helps clients come to mutually-agreeable terms through her collaborative law practice. She passed the test required by the North Carolina State Bar to be recognized as a Board Certified Specialist in Family Law in 2011, an achievement attained by less...

Phyllis (PJ) Lile-King is a lawyer in Greensboro, North Carolina, licensed for 25 years and engaged in a civil rights practice, including police misconduct and discrimination cases. She has lectured and written in the areas of discrimination, medical malpractice and drug overdose cases. PJ is on the faculty at Duke Law School. For several years, PJ's practice included medical malpractice, wrongful death and drug overdose cases. She grew up in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and graduated from Georgetown College with a B.A. and the University of Virginia School of Law with a J.D. PJ clerked for the Honorable Pierce Lively...

Bilingual Staff (English-Spanish) All Criminal State and Federal Charges, Appeals, Post-Conviction

I practice exclusively in the area of family law handling difficult child custody cases, complex equitable distribution matters, alimony, child support and prenuptial agreements. I am a board certified family law specialist and certified by the NC Dispute Resolution Commission as a Mediator.

As a criminal and immigration attorney in Raleigh, NC, Nick Clifford helps his clients through some of the most difficult times in their lives. He founded his law firm, the Clifford Law Group, on the foundation of compassion, integrity, and truly understanding the goals of clients. Nick is licensed to practice law in both North Carolina and Florida. He received his juris doctor from Florida State University College of Law, and a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from North Carolina State University. He practiced criminal defense in Florida's public defender's office before co-founding the Clifford Law Group, alongside his wife, attorney...

John M. Kotzker, Esq., graduated with a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1988. He then graduated from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 1992. Licensed to practice law in the states of: North Carolina Maryland Florida District of Columbia He’s also licensed to practice in numerous Federal Courts including the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta, Georgia, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia as well as the United States Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. John has extensive experience in representing individuals and businesses in wide variety of civil and criminal matters. John is...

Kathryn Schiller's practice is devoted to family law in Wake County. Kathryn provides legal counsel in the following areas of family law: Absolute Divorce Alimony Appeals Child Custody Child Support Domestic Violence Mediation Name Changes Post Separation Support PreMarital Agreements Property Division Separation Agreements Torts: Alienation of Affections / Criminal Conversation Kathryn provides cost-effective legal representation. Her focus is resolution, rather...

Providing DWI/DUI, Criminal, and Traffic Representation in Wake County, North Carolina.

Caleb Tarver is a third-generation small business owner, seasoned tax professional, and the founding attorney of Havenspire Law, a modern law firm designed to serve as a legal safe haven for entrepreneurs, founders, nonprofits, and growing businesses across North Carolina. With a strong foundation in business, tax, and regulatory law, Caleb understands both the legal and practical realities of running a business. His work is deeply informed by lived experience, having grown up in a family of business owners and later guiding clients through complex transactions, contracts, and compliance strategies. Caleb brings clarity, confidence, and concierge-level support to every stage of...