Print
In Other News

Wilmington Attorney Opens Collaborative Family Law Practice

By Jenny Callison, posted Aug 30, 2021
A local attorney has co-founded a practice focused on adoption and collaborative family law.

Ashley Michael (right) of Wilmington has teamed up with Ashley-Nicole Russell of Beaufort, North Carolina, to establish Michael & Russell PLLC. Michael will handle both adoption and collaborative family law cases, while Russell – who maintains offices in Beaufort, Greenville and Raleigh – will continue practicing collaborative family law, according to a news release.

Collaborative family law attorneys handle such matters as same-sex marriage, divorce and juvenile law. The collaborative law process became authorized in North Carolina in 2003. 

Michael, a family law attorney, has more than 15 years of experience in the field. Previously she was with the Wilmington firm of Craige & Fox PLLC. Michael has experience handling adoption matters across North Carolina, throughout the United States, and internationally, the release stated.

Certified in family law by the N.C. State Bar Board of Legal Specialization, she is one of just 271 attorneys in North Carolina to hold this distinction, the release stated. In addition, Michael is a certified mediator in family financial matters with the N.C. Dispute Resolution Commission and is a parenting coordinator appointed by local judges to act as a quasi-judicial officer of the court. She has been a court-appointed guardian ad litem for incompetency and minor estate matters, custody, and domestic violence actions.

In addition to her new partnership in New Hanover County, Russell owns and manages AN|R Law: A Negotiated Resolution and is a co-owner of McLawhorn & Russell PLLC in Raleigh. She is an author and podcast host who works to spread awareness about collaborative law around the world and is focused on changing divorce in America “so children will not fall prey to the negative statistics surrounding divorce litigation,” the release stated.

Russell’s work to change divorce grows from her own experience.

“I’m a child of divorce and I wish this method would have been in practice when my parents divorced in the 90s,” she said in the release. “It is possible to divorce in a healthy way and I’m honored to help lead this charge in New Hanover County. By choosing an alternative dispute resolution method, divorcing spouses are able to settle their matters with collaboration and negotiation while also committing to positive co-parenting methods.”

Adoptions can present complications that require legal assistance, Michael said.

“A lot of times in international adoptions, for example, parents don’t realize they have to complete an adoption process in the U.S. after they return,” she said. “They will spend, say, $50,000 in another country, and then they have passport issues and Social Security paperwork to complete. They have to complete the adoption process stateside, but they could go years until they hit a legal hurdle and realize they need to do this.”

Legal issues can also arise in adoptions of children by relatives, Michael added, as well as in direct placement adoptions in which birth parents and adoptive parents working together on the process.

Michael and Russell are founding board members of the N.C. Collaborative Attorney Network, which is the statewide trade association for collaborative divorce. In addition, Michael serves on the board of directors for Coastal Collaborative Colleagues, and Russell is a board member for the National Parents Organization, which aims to spread awareness about shared parenting nationwide.

The Michael & Russell firm is located at 5008 Oleander Drive.
Ico insights

INSIGHTS

SPONSORS' CONTENT
Cfss headshots parker robert webversion 21422121214

23 Reasons to Go Solar in 2023

Robert Parker - Cape Fear Solar Systems
Mel profilephoto

Grasshopper Lawn Care and Services Accepting New Monthly Clients

Mel Beasley - Wide Open Tech
Jc300 dsc 2735

The Pie Chart of Deception

JC Lyle - Wilmington Area Rebuilding Ministry

Trending News

Group Planning Indoor Skydiving Facility On Eastwood Announces Updates

Staff Reports - Mar 21, 2023

Possible Writers Strike Could Be Felt In Wilmington Film Scene

Jenny Callison - Mar 20, 2023

Former County Commissioner Woody White Appointed To UNC System Board

Jenny Callison - Mar 22, 2023

City Takes Next Steps Toward Possible Purchase Of Thermo Fisher Building

Staff Reports - Mar 22, 2023

Oklahoma Onion Burgers Planned For The Pointe

Miriah Hamrick - Mar 22, 2023

In The Current Issue

Swinging Big With Custom Golf

Cameron Lee sees a lot of parallels between golf and life: You have to make good decisions, evaluate risk versus reward, be smart and be hon...


Growing South

Areas throughout southern Brunswick County are seeing an increase in residents and development, leaving municipalities looking at how to pla...


Southport Brisket By Way Of Texas

Open since April 2014, Southport Smoke House has been introducing guests to owner Troy Knight’s home state of Texas brand of barbecue: beef...

Book On Business

The 2023 WilmingtonBiz: Book on Business is an annual publication showcasing the Wilmington region as a center of business.

Order Your Copy Today!


Galleries

Videos

2023 Power Breakfast: Major Developments