About

History of the North Carolina Collaborative Attorney Network

Collaborative law first came to North Carolina in the late 1990s. In 2003, the state legislature passed a bill recognizing collaborative law as an alternative to court divorce and defining the key components of the process. Over the past decade and half, hundreds of North Carolina attorneys have received training in the collaborative divorce process, and in 2017 the North Carolina Collaborative Attorney Network (NC-CAN) was created. NC-CAN was founded to help ensure that couples in North Carolina facing the crisis of divorce are aware of the collaborative divorce option and to ensure that they can find attorneys who can provide the highest quality collaborative process. Together the attorneys of NC-CAN have over four decades of experience representing clients in collaborative divorce cases. The North Carolina Collaborative Attorney Network is comprised only of qualified and committed collaborative practitioners who have been instrumental to developing collaborative in North Carolina. We are dedicated to helping families like yours find the resources to divorce without destruction.

Founding Members

  • Molly Anthony

    Esq.

    As an attorney, I enjoy helping families resolve their disputes peacefully. I love how the collaborative process enables the professionals involved in a case to focus on the needs and interests of the family members, often achieving an amazing outcome that could never happen in court. I have been practicing family law exclusively for the […]

  • Kerry Burleigh

    Esq.

    In 2006, I started my career in family law litigation. While I was able to advise clients and use the litigation system to get them through difficult times in their lives, I found I also wanted to help them transition out of those difficult times with a workable plan, which the litigation system didn’t usually […]

  • Ashley Michael

    Esq.

    Albeit a trained litigator, Ashley believes that upon thoroughly educating clients about various legal paths, litigation/alternative dispute resolution/collaborative divorce/contractual non-litigation, the client may determine the right approach to their legal claims which best fit their personality, budget and familial needs. Ashley’s vision is to educate and empower clients to take control of the outcome of […]

  • Randolph (Tre’) Morgan, III

    Esq.

    I am Randolph (Tré) Morgan III, a Board Certified Family Law Specialist, collaborative divorce attorney, and mediator in Raleigh, North Carolina. Through my practice at the Law Office of Randolph Morgan III, P.A., I represent clients in North Carolina divorce, custody, alimony, child support, property division, and other related matters. Find out what it is […]

  • Ashley-Nicole Russell

    Esq.

    Ashley-Nicole Russell is a North Carolina attorney, entrepreneur, author and community leader. She is the founder and CEO of AN|R Law, creator of Divorce, Healthy! Podcast and author of The Cure for Divorce Culture. Attorney Russell has grown her practice with physical offices in Greenville, Raleigh, Beaufort, and Wilmington. Additionally, Ashley-Nicole is the cofounder of Michael and Russell, PLLC and Delivering Divorce Differently. Today, Ashley-Nicole and her team of lawyers serve families in all 100 North Carolina counties, bringing trusted counsel and practical solutions to families across the state. Ashley-Nicole was named Alumni of the Year by Appalachian State University and Small business leader of the year by the Chamber of Commerce for her transformation of collaborative family law into a practical, sustainable model that other professionals can adapt, and implement. Rather than limiting her work to representing individual families, she has pursued a broader vision: building collaborative-focused practices, changing laws, connecting professionals, educating the public, and creating resources that support the continued growth of collaborative practice across North Carolina and America.

  • Mark A. Springfield

    Esq.

    If you are having to consider divorce, for whatever reason, I think you are wise to be considering the collaborative process. For the last fifteen years I’ve dedicated my legal practice to this legal option for divorcing, because I’ve become absolutely convinced that for most couples, it’s a less destructive and less expensive approach to […]