BELMONTLAWYER.COM - Key Persons
Ann is a Shelby, North Carolina native but has lived in Belmont for the past 13 years. Inspired by her own two sons, Ann has been an advocate for families with special needs children for over twenty years. Her life experiences have made her a strong person and motivate her to serve others, not just as an attorney, but also as an engaged citizen of the community.
During her years in law school, Ann interned in the Gaston County District Attorney's office trying criminal cases, served as an advocate for children with the Gaston County Guardian ad Litem program, and received the school's highest award for pro bono hours. Her law practice began with a launch of her own practice in 2012 and merged with Jamie Hester in 2015.
Ann's primary practice areas are wills, estates, probate, guardianships, family law and guardian ad litem representation. In family law, she represents husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, grandparents, and relatives in a range of domestic civil actions. Ann represents children as a Guardian ad Litem in high conflict custody cases, civil cases involving a minor, juvenile court cases, and termination of parental rights actions, among others. She is a member of the American Bar Association as well as the North Carolina and Gaston County bar associations.
In 2017 Ann was certified as a Mediator for Equitable Distribution and Other Family Financial Cases for District Court actions. Mediation provides parties an alternative to having a judge determine how their marital property and debts will be split between parties. Mediation can also be used to assist parties in determining custody arrangements.
Ann is also trained as a Parent Coordinator (PC). A Parent Coordinator serves as an impartial individual who assists parties in a high conflict custody case. This assistance involves resolving and deciding disputes, such as a scheduling issue or a communication problem. Parties can agree to appoint a PC or a PC can be appointed by a judge. If the PC is appointed by the judge then that person is given authority to make decisions concerning custody until the matter can be heard by the judge.
Ann is a member of Belmont Rotary where she served as president in 2013-2014. She was awarded the "Distinguished Rotarian" award in 2014 and was recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow in 2015 for her outstanding service to the organization. She was appointed by Gaston County Commissioners for an 18 month assignment as ombudsman for foster parents in the area. Currently, Ann serves as the advisor for the Gaston College Paralegal Technology Joint Advisory committee.
Ann has two daughters, two sons, five grandchildren and a fiesty puppy named Bentley. When not at work, Ann enjoys afternoons on the lake with her family and dinner dates with her husband.
Ann was born in Shelby, North Carolina and has lived in Belmont for the past ten years. For over twenty years she has advocated for children with special needs - including her own two sons. She found she has a passion for assisting families who have children with special needs. With this passion in mind, Ann chose to leave her position as a Risk Executive for a Charlotte insurance company, where she worked for over two decades, in order to go to law school and pursue a career in law. Ann believes her life experiences have made her a stronger person and help her serve others not just as an attorney but also as an engaged citizen and member of the community.
During her years in law school, Ann interned in the Gaston County District Attorney's office trying criminal cases. For over four years, Ann served as an advocate for children with the Gaston County Guardian ad Litem program. While in law school, Ann received the school's highest award for pro bono hours.
Ann began practicing law in 2012 by opening her own practice. She was appointed by the Gaston County Commissioners in 2013 to serve as a Foster Parent Ombudsman for Gaston County. Ann enjoys advocating for children involved in contested custody cases by serving as the Guardian ad Litem for the children. Ann also dedicates a large portion of her law practice to assisting clients in estate planning and probate administration. In January 2015, Ann merged her practice with Jamie to build a more comprehensive law practice to better serve her clients.
Ann is a member of Belmont Rotary where she served as president in 2013-2014. In 2014, she was presented the "Distinguished Rotarian" award for her service to Rotary. When not at work, Ann enjoys afternoons on the lake with her family and dinner dates with her husband.
Jamie was born and raised in North Carolina on a tobacco farm in Forsyth County, right outside of Winston-Salem. She received her undergraduate and law degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While an undergraduate, she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy with Honors. During law school, Jamie focused her studies on criminal law and issues relating to child welfare and juvenile justice. She represented children who were alleged to have committed acts of delinquency in the Juvenile Justice Clinic and interned with the Wake County Public Defender's Office in Raleigh.
Jamie's interest in child welfare, both the criminal justice and juvenile justice systems, led her to choose a career as an attorney. She is passionate about protecting children's best interests and advocating for individuals involved in legal matters that affect both juveniles and families.
Upon graduation and passing the bar exam in 2012, Jamie began practicing in Gaston County serving as an associate attorney for Dana Sherrill Lahbabi. In 2014, she opened her own practice in Belmont that practiced in several areas but focused on family law. In January 2015, Jamie merged her firm with Ann's practice in an exciting new venture to offer more services to her existing and future clients. As of November 2018 Jamie is a Board Certified Specialist in Family Law.
Currently, Jamie serves as an adjunct instructor and an advisor for the Paralegal Technology Joint Advisory Committee at Gaston College. Jamie was the President of the Gaston County Bar Association for 2017. During the previous three years, she served as Treasurer and Vice President for the same organization.
In her spare time, she enjoys riding her road and mountain bikes or going for a run. She also enjoys cooking and spending time with her loved ones, including her husband, her daughter, and their rabbit named Zuko.