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Yes, it’s accurate to say that Katelyn Bailey Hodgins works at Triangle Smart Divorce as an attorney. Yes, she graduated cum laude from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a BA in History and Criminal Justice. Yes, she graduated from Campbell Law School with honors in 2017. Yes, she’s been practicing family law since she graduated and passed the bar exam. And yes, she was named a Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2023 and 2024.. None of that fully conveys how fortunate Triangle Smart Divorce – and consequently our clients – are to have her on our TSD Team. It’s akin to describing Shohei Ohtani as a “good baseball player in Japan.” In other words, you have to see and work with Katelyn to truly appreciate our excitement.. Here’s the thing—she’s passionate. Okay, a lot of lawyer bios say that, and many might consider it a cliché, but sometimes clichés are accurate.. Katelyn is genuinely passionate about family law. She’s a child of divorce, and by the time she was in college and had her sights set on law school, she knew with absolute certainty she would be a family law attorney. Not ‘go to law school and take family law classes,’ but ‘go to law school to become a family law attorney.’. Two days into an internship at a family law firm cemented her future. One of the many intriguing aspects of family law is its intersection with various other legal fields, a fact that shaped the rest of Katelyn’s law school education.. She also served as a member of the Campbell Law Observer, where she was the Ethics Editor Emeritus. Additionally, she was a member of Campbell’s Restorative Justice Clinic. The program’s description fits Katelyn exceptionally well: “to develop attorneys who possess moral conviction, social compassion, professional competence, and a view of using the practice of law as a calling to serve others.” Perfect.. According to Katelyn, there are ‘only’ six things anyone needs to know about her: she loves to joke with people, Taylor Swift, her dog Huck, Harry Potter, the Jonas Brothers, and romance novels, in no particular order.. She adds that her husband is also ‘on the list somewhere’ along with—and this is a mystery to us—being a Philadelphia Eagles fan. Really, there is no explanation, nor does anything we wrote before this in any way explain how this fantastic lawyer is part of a fanbase famous for booing Santa Claus.. We are proud to have Katelyn as a part of our Triangle Smart Divorce Team and know our clients will continue to benefit from her dedication and expertise for a long time!

When L. Brook Stuntebeck (Brook) graduated from Georgia State Law School she did what many new lawyers do – she joined a huge firm. The kind that throws tons of cases from tons of different areas of the law at young associates on the theory that they are equally indefatigable and replaceable.. Brook thrived in her ‘corporate law’ environment while concentrating mostly on civil matters where she had virtually no contact with clients. She started helping out a senior partner on a few family law cases and found she liked it – and she loved working with clients and families.. When it became apparent that ‘big law’ wasn’t for her (this occurred almost simultaneously with her moving to Texas) she asked the family law partner she had worked with for a recommendation.. “Yes! Of course!” He agreed . . . before adding this, “But only if you go into family law full time. You’re a natural, you’re great at it, you love clients and they love you, be a family lawyer.”. Brook agreed, got the recommendation, found a terrific family law firm in Texas and in short order was recognized as a Texas Rising Star/Best Lawyer. More importantly – much more importantly – Brook embraced family law, embraced negotiation and strategy and mediation.. Now Brook is bringing her passion for family law to Triangle Smart Divorce along with her client philosophy: “Tell me your ultimate goals and we’ll figure out how to get you there in the best possible way. We’ll get you to closure.”. We at Triangle Smart Divorce are thrilled to have her – which says a lot about Brook as she is an intense Georgia Bulldog fan and was hired by an office filled with equally intense Clemson, UNC, NC State, and Penn State fans.. In fact, Brook’s hiring may be the first (and probably only) time fans of these teams have ever agreed on anything.. Brook is settling into Chapel Hill with her husband, Vince, two children and a three month old Labrador, Finn. No word on whether Finn already has a Georgia sweater.

We usually start our firm bios with a little tidbit about the member and move on from there building a narrative.. We’re breaking the mold with Julianne B. Rothert.. We have to start with this: Julianne loves family law – she is completely, utterly, dedicated to every aspect of it and has been since law school.. What does it mean when Julianne loves something? This . . .. Julianne went to Clemson. She loves everything Clemson, especially the football team. How much? Enough to be in labor the night before a Clemson game (note: It was not a playoff game, or even against the top 25, just the regular, old ‘Saturday Clemson beat down of an almost defenseless opponent’ game) and still go to the game. Which she sat all the way through. We think she also probably sat through Dabo’s news conference as well but she won’t confirm or deny that.. Only then did she go to the hospital and give birth. She gives some, grudgingly, credit to her daughter for waiting so patiently.. That then is what Julianne brings to family law.. Here’s what you don’t get – Julianne will never “tell you what you want to hear. I’m not the person to come to if you want to be told only what you want to hear, I’m the person to come to if you want to get it straight. Ask me anything. I’m here for you.”. That's out of the way; here’s the rest.. Julianne started out as an accounting major at, well, you know where. After graduation she went straight to Campbell University School of Law where she not only excelled, she found her love of family law.. Julianne was certified as a specialist in family law by the North Carolina State Bar in 2008. In 2011 she was certified as a family financial mediator as well. She frequently serves as a mediator in family law cases, by now you should know how she feels about that. She’s also a Parenting Coordinator, which as you may know, takes the patience of Job and the wisdom of Solomon.

Twenty years in the making, Corrie Seagroves finally joined the Triangle Smart Divorce Team after a wide-ranging, somewhat eclectic career as an attorney from the Balkans to the Triangle (and a few places in between).. Corrie’s travels started at UNC, where she graduated with Highest Honors and a degree in Political Science and Government. She continued to Vanderbilt University Law, where she achieved the Order of the Coif. Then, she went to Upstate New York at Ft. Drum (home of the famed 10th Mountain Division), where she started a career as an Army JAG officer. Next up was Bosnia-Herzegovina during the United Nations intervention, where she served as a Senior Defense Counsel. Then, to Fort Gordon in Georgia, where she not only litigated complex military cases throughout the Southeast but also trained and supervised other attorneys and paralegals.. After all that, Corrie returned to the Triangle and dove into what can only be described as a tour of some of the most complex and demanding areas of the law, from medical malpractice to civil litigation and criminal complaints. It was demanding, tough work that exposed her to a wide range of legal issues and techniques while honing her long-term career goals.. Those became clear after Corrie was named the Lead Litigation Attorney of a large family law firm, taking responsibility for all litigation and litigating attorneys. That kind of intense, everyday exposure to litigation led her to two unshakable conclusions: she loves going to court and she enjoys working directly with clients.. “There is something unique about family law,” Corrie says, “where clients come to you in real difficulty, and you get to work with and help them through the worst of times and see it all work out in real time. I don’t think there’s another area of the law so challenging and so rewarding at once.”. Corrie knew Triangle Smart Divorce’s founder, Jenny Bradley, for twenty years, before TSD was even a distant twinkle in Jenny’s eyes. But somehow, they knew they would always work together. Both are thrilled it’s finally happening – for reasons beyond the obvious.. Corrie because she is excited to work with our Team. Jenny because Corrie brings a deep knowledge of executive compensation packages, deferred compensation, and closely held business valuations to our firm.. The fact that Corrie bleeds Carolina Blue and helps even out allegiances in an office that has been slowly tilting towards the Wolfpack had, we are told, “nothing to do with anything.”. When Corrie is not helping our clients, she lives on a 14-acre farm with her husband where she gardens and helps manage her – and she cannot stress this enough – small vineyard. She and her husband travel and fly fish – two activities that are not mutually exclusive. Aside from cheering for the Tar Heels and Hurricanes, she is also a die-hard Green Bay Packers fan.

Ms. Hernandez has been a wage and hour practitioner for nearly 20 years, first as a government official for the United States Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division and then as an attorney. She has a breadth of experience in complex civil litigation matters, and she has served as counsel in large wage and hour class actions involving thousands of employees. She is a tenacious and passionate litigator who works tirelessly for her clients. Before launching her own law practice, she worked for a mid-size firm in Raleigh, NC where she built a wage and hour practice from the ground up.. In 1997, Ms. Hernandez started her wage and hour career as a government official with the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division in Los Angeles, CA. She initiated field investigations of industrial, agricultural, and other business establishments to obtain compliance with federal labor and immigration laws; enforced immigration programs under the amended H-1(B) program of INA and employment eligibility; enforced federal labor laws regarding minimum or prevailing wage rates, overtime pay, family medical leave, wage garnishment, migrant safety and health protection, government contracts and similar matters related to employment and hours worked.  She worked closely with employers to ensure their understanding of the requirements of the law and advised them on how to reach and maintain compliance.. Currently, Ms. Hernandez’s practice is focused on representing individual plaintiffs and plaintiffs in complex collective and class action litigation for alleged violations of the FLSA, NCWHA, and any other state’s wage and hour laws. Additionally, Ms. Hernandez has been interviewed for and appeared on television, radio, and in print media discussing relevant wage and hour issues affecting employees in various industries subject to the FLSA and the NCWHA.

Lisa brings a wealth of Family Law experience to Triangle Smart Divorce. She began her law career in 1989 and has focused almost exclusively on the many complexities and intricacies of Family Law as a member of the New Jersey, North Carolina, and the United States Supreme Court Bars.. Lisa is tenacious. Her tenacity is well earned. After she graduated, cum laude, from Lafayette College, she attended Cornell Law School where – she will happily confirm this – she trudged to classes uphill both ways through knee-deep snow. This will come as no surprise to anyone who has ever visited Ithaca, New York.. We could write about Lisa’s experience with every aspect of Family Law from divorce to child custody to property division to support and alimony to paternity suits and prenuptial agreements. And, we could write about her philosophy – one, of course, deeply shared by Triangle Smart Divorce – that court is the last resort. Though she has extensive litigation experience. We could write about her tireless efforts as a Parenting Coordinator.. Instead, we’re just going to point to her fervent belief that the best film of the last twenty years is Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. Somehow, that says it all.. When not imparting more wisdom to Jenny, Lisa is guiding her two children in their young adulthood. Luke is at VMI on a lacrosse scholarship, and his sister, Kylie is starting her Masters Program at UNC. Lisa and her husband, Dave, also have two indifferent cats and a black lab called Thor, short for Thurgood.. Two more things: Lisa is a teammate of Jenny’s on the Bad News Barristers, the seven-time champions of the Wake County Bar Softball League. They were also teammates on a local softball team, The Gimps, until Jenny decided she was too gimpy to play in two leagues. If she couldn’t be an attorney, Lisa’s dream – and this may say as much about her as her favorite movie – would be to be a singer, despite the fact she absolutely cannot carry a tune. A fact that would not stop her for a minute.

Liana Orta had a decision to make when she graduated from Florida International University – pursue an MBA or go to law school. On paper, it looked like an easy choice: she majored in Finance and International Business. She spent part of her junior year furthering these studies in Sorrento, Italy. She seemed destined to get the MBA and then jump on the first flight back to Europe. But the MBA never really had a chance – Liana needed a profession where she helped people, not corporations. She went to the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law instead.. When Liana graduated from law school, she went to one of the few ‘fresh out of law school’ jobs that offered an immediate and impactful chance to help people – she became an Assistant Public Defender in Florida working with juveniles.. Her experiences with court, children, families in crisis, interviewing, negotiating, and so much more are invaluable. She had more client contact in a week than most attorneys have in a month.. In short, Liana acquired the temperament, empathy, knowledge, and negotiating skills that are as hard to come by as they are invaluable in family law. She was a perfect fit for the Triangle Smart Divorce team . . . except she was 500 miles away in Jacksonville, Florida.. We seemed certain to never meet but, thankfully, insects intervened. Specifically, Euschistus servus, the brown stink bug.. Liana’s husband, Kevin, came to NC State to pursue his PhD in Entomology, studying the brown stink bug and its effects on corn and soybean crops. Liana came to North Carolina determined to put her experience to use in a field she is passionate about: family law.. As a child of divorce, Liana is dedicated to doing all that she can for her clients and their children to achieve the best possible outcome as quickly and painlessly as possible while avoiding the pitfalls and uncertainties of the courtroom.. Liana was looking for a firm that reflected her values at precisely the same time Triangle Smart Divorce was searching for a new associate. The timing was perfect.. Liana lives in Apex with Kevin, their two miniature dachshunds, Oggie & Callie, and not a single Euschistus servus. The four of them spend time exploring our Greenways and their new home.

Lauren is really – really – great at following directions, shares Triangle Smart Divorce's work and play ethic, and definitely has a sense of humor.. TSD loves all of that about her, but what really struck us is Lauren’s persistency and obstinacy – she grew up in a small town in Ohio, her father was the ubiquitous town attorney. He spent a good chunk of her adolescence telling her ‘don’t be a lawyer.’ When it began to look like she was going to ignore that advice he amended it to, “Well, just don’t go into family law.”. After graduating from Penn State, Lauren attended Duquesne Law School. Somewhere along the way she decided she liked the beaches of our Outer Banks better than any of those in Pittsburgh and relocated to Raleigh, where she lives with her four-year old and her ruthless cat.

I have lived and worked in North Carolina almost my whole life, minus a short adventure to Norfolk, Virginia while my husband was on active duty in the Navy, and consider myself a Carolina girl through and through. I am a proud double Tarheel with both a Bachelor’s and a J.D. from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.. While at UNC, I had the opportunity to work in the Domestic Violence Legal Clinic. This work was the single most meaningful thing I did throughout my collective time at Carolina. As part of my clinic work, I received the Certificate of Merrit for Trauma-Informed Lawyering.. I have seen the impact divorce and child custody can have on families. I have seen what it is like when things break cleanly, but also what happens when the end of a relationship thrusts your world into chaos. Now, I use those experiences and my expertise in the legal field to find the best possible solutions for you and your family.. As your attorney, my only goal is to be there for you to help restore order to your life and put you back in control. There is no one-size-fits-all solution because there is no one-size-fits-all family. This team-based approach includes exploring all your options for resolution both in and out of a courtroom.. I want every client who walks into my office to know that I am in your corner. No matter how it started or where it is going, we are here for this next chapter in your story.. Outside of work, you can find me reading fantasy novels, supporting performing arts, trying my hand at creative writing, and spoiling my nieces and nephews in hopes of achieving the coveted title of “world’s best aunt.”

I focus my practice primarily on defending businesses and municipalities in employment disputes.

Defense Attorney – Wiley Nickel. When your future and reputation are at stake, an experienced criminal defense attorney makes your rights a priority.. As a former Deputy District Attorney Wiley Nickel has the experience that matters most. With a practice based on trust, respect, discretion and professionalism, Wiley helps his clients avoid the dire consequences of criminal charges.. As a criminal defense lawyer, Wiley specializes as a drunk driving attorney and traffic ticket attorney. DWI charges can have a profound effect on your life and financial situation, and the right DWI attorney makes all the difference. Fighting traffic tickets, which may negatively impact your record and lead to huge increases for your car insurance, is another way Wiley defends every aspect of your rights.. Wiley focuses on family law, criminal law, juvenile law and traffic tickets from his office in Cary, North Carolina. Contact Wiley Nickel when you need an experienced defense attorney, DWI lawyer or drunk driving lawyer in Wake County. Defending your rights is his priority.

Attorney at Law. Estate Planning | Guardianship | Wills & Trusts | Power of Attorney | Healthcare Directives. For over 20 years, I have assisted clients with estate planning and guardianship matters. Our firm believes in a comprehensive approach that starts with a vision meeting. We learn what our clients envision for long-term care planning, incapacity planning and distribution of assets after death. We explain various legal strategies and the outcomes they would produce to customize the right plan for each client. I enjoy this process and getting to know my clients. Contact us to schedule a consultation.

Ashley graduated Campbell Law (Cum Laude) with an eye toward criminal law. In law school she interned in the Federal Public Defender’s Office in Raleigh, the North Carolina Court of Appeals, and North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission.. It seemed as if she was well on the way to a career as a criminal defense attorney after graduation from law school, when the firm where Ashley worked became in need of a family law attorney. Ashley either volunteered or was volunteered (the facts are somewhat cloudy), but the result was like something out of Hollywood sports movie: the [almost] brand new attorney thrown into a family law trial and thriving.. Flash forward almost ten years, and Ashley is not only a family law attorney, handling a heavy load of cases from intake through depositions, mediation, and trial when necessary, she’s on an impressive – and close to unprecedented – six years and counting run as a North Carolina Super Lawyers Rising Star.. It’s pretty easy to see why all of us at Triangle Smart Divorce are thrilled Ashley chose to bring her knowledge, experience, empathy, and passion for family law to our team.