Practice Area Overview

Experienced Raleigh Family Law, Business, and Estate Planning Lawyers

We offer high-quality legal counsel and representation in a full range of legal areas. Each attorney integrates the specific practice area to ensure that clients receive exceptional service in all of their legal concerns. We offer services to meet your personal and family needs as your life changes, including adoption, nuptial agreements, divorce and family law, and estate planning. We also offer owners of small- and medium-sized businesses representation in commercial transaction, civil litigation, and contract services. Contact our offices in Raleigh, North Carolina, to schedule a consultation with experienced attorneys about your specific legal needs. Let us show you how we can be the law firm for your changing needs-for your life.

Family law:  We offer a full range of divorce and family law services in North Carolina, including the special needs of business owners and holders of complex estates that can complicate divorce proceedings. We place a special concentration in the area of adoption issues and two of our partners operate a domestic adoption agency, A Child’s Hope.

  • Nuptial agreements
  • Divorce, complex or uncontested
  • Child custody and child support issues
  • Complex marital property valuation and division
  • Adoption
  • Postnuptial and separation agreements
  • Alimony and spousal support

We are strong advocates of the use of alternative dispute resolution and mediation in divorce settlements. Our family law attorneys include North Carolina Certified mediators who can help resolve your most significant divorce issues efficiently and cost-effectively.

Estate planning and probate law : Designed to meet the needs of owners of family businesses and holders of high-value estates as well as individuals and families in need of cost-effective planning, we can help you protect and direct your family assets with a variety of legal instruments and probate services such as:

  • Wills and testamentary trusts
  • Living trusts, trust administration
  • Advance directives to physicians and family
  • Financial powers of attorney
  • Administration of decedent’s and guardianship estates
  • Probate court representation
  • Will contests
  • Healthcare financial planning
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) including mediation

Elder law:  We offer legal counsel and individualized services to families that want guidance on eligibility for government benefit programs. We assist clients to obtain guardianship over their incapacitated family members.

Business law and civil litigation : We offer legal counsel and individualized transactional and law services to help your business succeed. We are also experienced civil litigators with extensive experience in breach of contract trials and other business and personal litigation issues.

  • Business start-ups and dissolutions
  • Mergers and acquisitions
  • Insurance benefits law
  • Breach of contract disputes
  • Alternative dispute resolution, mediation
  • Employment disputes with employees

Insurance Benefits Law : We advise companies on issues related to pensions, executive insurance, and health insurance coverage.

Employee Benefits (ERISA):  We regularly provide advice and drafting assistance to our clients in connection with Employment Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA ) qualified plans and all forms of welfare and fringe benefit programs, including group medical, group life, cafeteria, dependent care, VEBA and disaster relief programs.

Employment Law for Businesses:  We provide comprehensive employment law representation for small to medium-sized businesses, including advice and litigation regarding: discrimination claims, wrongful discharge and termination suits, employment contract cases, federal contract compliance, and employment agreements.

Legal Services for Insurance Agencies: Our attorneys have advised the insurance and insurance-related industries for nearly 10 years. We work closely with insurance agents, brokers, and other participants in the insurance and insurance-related industries on a wide range of transactions and issues affecting their operations.

We invite you to visit these information pages to learn more:

Contact our offices in Raleigh, North Carolina, to schedule a consultation about your legal needs. We are your law firm for life.


Herring Mills & Kratt PLLC   Two Hannover Square, Suite 1860  Raleigh, NC 27601   919.821.1860  fax 919.821.1816
  • E. Parker Herring 1
  • David Curtis Smith
  • Bobby D. Mills 1,2
  • Anna E. Worley 1,5
  • E. William Kratt 3
  • David E. Duke
  • Mary Ann Dalton 4,6
  • Heather J. Williams
  • Stephanie C. Adams
  • 1 Board Certified Specialist in Family Law
  • 2 Member American Academy of Adoption Attorneys
  • 3 Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law
  • 4 Member National Academy Elder Law Attorneys
  • 5 DRC – Certified Family Financial Mediator
  • 6 DRC – Certified Estate & Guardianship Mediator


The Raleigh, North Carolina, law firm of Herring Mills & Kratt PLLC, serves residents and businesses throughout central North Carolina, including communities such as Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary, Wake Forest, Apex, Morrisville, Holly Springs, Clayton, Pittsboro, Sanford, Smithfield, Southern Pines, Pinehurst, Greenville, Wilson, Rocky Mount, and Research Triangle Park (RTP), North Carolina.

Wake County • Durham County •Orange County • Chatham County • Lee County • Harnett County
• Johnston County • Moore County • Wilson County • Pitt County • Nash County

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