Passionate. Caring. Fierce. Knowledgeable. Meet Melissa Averett. She has been practicing as a family law attorney in Orange and Chatham Counties since 1998. From separation, to divorce, to child custody and more, she fights to protect her clients’ rights.
“Guiding clients through some of the most traumatic chapters in their life, a divorce, custody battle or probate after the death of a loved one, is a position of intimacy and trust. It’s an honor to be chosen for that role.”
Melissa has been selected for the past several years running to the North Carolina Super Lawyers list in recognition of her work in family law. She speaks regularly to legal groups on family law issues, both in North Carolina and internationally.
Melissa is one of a handful of Family Law Specialists primarily practicing in Chatham County.
Melissa shares her knowledge in North Carolina and internationally, speaking at family law conferences, and teaching workshops and continuing legal education seminars. She is a member of the National Crime Victim Bar Association and is qualified to testify as an expert witness on the subject of domestic violence.
Melissa also works with the North Carolina Bar to promote new and updated legislation related to family law.
Melissa has earned a reputation as one of the go-to attorneys on complex family law topics. She has been invited to speak at a number of international conferences and attended others to stay current on the latest in family law.
When she’s not working or traveling, Melissa can be found crocheting, weaving on her floor loom, and trying to keep her cats from covering all her yarn and crafts in fur, usually unsuccessfully.
“I have worked with Melissa as opposing counsel on cases and know her generally as a member of our local family law bar. Melissa is an excellent attorney, and any client would be well-served by her representation. She is highly knowledgeable in all areas of family law, and she is a zealous and effective advocate for her clients.”
Brian Johnston, Family Attorney
Outstanding law firm. Melissa puts her clients first. She is also a no non-sense attorney who sets reasonable expectations. The fees are the most reasonable of any attorney I interviewed. I have used Averett Family Law multiple times and do not hesitate to highly recommend them!
Nee Ghi
“I really enjoy working with Melissa. She is an excellent attorney, very dedicated and hard-working, and she really cares for her clients. I hope to work with her a great deal in the future. “
Tony Parrott at Spartan Investigative Services, LLC
“I will always remember how dedicated, knowledgeable, and passionate you are about promoting healthy relationships and fighting against the injustices of unhealthy relationships. I truly appreciate working with an attorney of your caliber, and expect that your legacy will continue to touch the lives of many people.”
Aliece I.
“Melissa Averett and I have collaborated on behalf of many clients over the years. She always provides top-quality legal care and personable service. Melissa has a passionate dedication to the legal rights of her clients and is sensitive to their emotional needs as well. She uses her fine sense of collegiality to bring together a team of professionals in each case she serves. I continue to entrust my clients to her care because of the unfailingly superior performance I have experienced each time I have made a referral to her.”
Ellen Gray- Psychotherapist
“Melissa has kept me informed of everything that was going on in my case right from the beginning. I can honestly say that she has truly advocated for me (not the case), and has done her best to minimize my costs. She is very knowledgeable of divorce and family law in NC.”
Pete
“Melissa Averett is an open-minded professional who views her clients’ interests as paramount. She always divides her attention evenly among her caseload and assures that every client receives the full benefit of her time, experience, and legal knowledge. As a professional, she is discreet as well as mindful of your time and expense. Melissa is the attorney you must contact if you are seeking an honest opinion about your legal situation and seek a strong professional that will always consider what is in your best interest and is remarkable when confronted with challenges, both in and outside of the court. “
Courtney B.
Afi Johnson-Parris- Lead Attorney
“Melissa is an expert in the field of domestic violence and a valued contributor to all members of the NCBA Family Law Section Listserv. When I am in need of a colleague to be a sounding board or a source of knowledge, that person is Melissa. Her superior legal reasoning, sound research, and skilled trial advocacy are only matched by her generous spirit to make sure the legal needs of domestic violence victims and the under-served poor are met. She is the type of lawyer that makes her profession proud.”
Melissa is perhaps the most intellectually gifted lawyer I know. Among trial attorneys, Melissa has few equals and no superiors.
Cheryl
“Searching the internet, I found a family law attorney in Chatham County. Based on the information I provided, she recommended Attorney Averett. To that point, it was the best advice an attorney ever gave me. A recommendation to speak with Melissa made a world of difference for my children and I hope it can for yours too. Everyone suspects that his or her problems are worse and different from everyone else’s. Having worked my way thru family courts in three different states, I can attest that everyone is right about that. Melissa understands that each family brings their own unique challenge to the table and that each person deserves fair and respectful treatment. As I am not a resident of North Carolina, all of our first communication was over the phone. Melissa took the time to hear and understand my perspective. Based on our initial conversations, we agreed to take each other on as partners.
It was (and is) very important to me that Melissa took the time to understand my children, my own ‘worse and different’ circumstance, and me. Melissa put me in touch with the right professionals in the Hillsborough and Chapel Hill area to develop a support team. That support team was critical to the case ending in my children’s best interest. Melissa and Alva have been with me every step of the way. The legal and professional advice they have given me has been tremendous. The general ‘counsel’ they provided helped keep me calm and confidant – not making any poor ‘reactionary’ decisions. This allowed me to keep what was most important in front of me. Over time, those conversations were more important to my family than any of the excellent ‘nuts and bolts’ legal advice and guidance they provided.
Thank You, Melissa. I cannot recommend you strongly enough.”
Scott R.
I had Divorce issues. Melissa and her crew made short work of it at a good price; also made settlement my favor.
Larry G.
Melissa and her team are Excellent. Highly recommend her services. Very professional, fights for the truth, she and her team are awesome. I am very thankful for her personal advice, encouraging words, and much needed help during divorce. Very thorough! Thank you!!
Karl J.
“I was referred to Melissa Averett, by another lawyer. Within a few minutes of speaking to her, I wished I had used her when I initially went through my divorce. She was so great!! Smart, to the point, knowledgeable. She came up with a great option for me and I would highly recommend her to anyone.”
Nealy
When I moved to N.C, Melissa Averett was my first choice because of her deep experience and frank candor– but she was too busy to take on new clients. I felt lucky to be able to work with her when a spot opened up. Custody is difficult even in the best of cases due to the powerful emotions involved, and the last thing you need is an attorney who fans the flames of conflict. Averett keeps things clean, clear, and straightforward. Highly recommended.
Anonymous
“I have worked with Melissa as opposing counsel on cases and know her generally as a member of our local family law bar. Melissa is an excellent attorney, and any client would be well-served by her representation. She is highly knowledgeable in all areas of family law, and she is a zealous and effective advocate for her clients.”
Brian Johnston, Family Attorney
I recently had the unpleasant experience of going through a divorce in NC. Melissa and Alva have been professional, efficient and knowledgeable throughout the entire process. They respond timely and accurately. On more than one occasion, they went above and beyond to facilitate the process. Melissa sought out ways to save me time and money and was always cost-conscious when billing me for her services. I always received accurate information/analysis and was never waiting on them. I knew I was in good hands and can’t say enough about how pleased I am with the services I received from this firm.
Jeremy
I would like to share my experience with the Family Law office of M. Averett. I felt it very important to share my experience with this law office because I remember how I felt when embarking on this change in life event and second enlighten those going through this in their life that it does take time requiring patience. I initially looked on line as well as went to 4 family law offices before selecting an attorney to represent me. I found that Counselor Averett was incredibly knowledgeable, patient, and wise at a time and event in my life that was and is traumatic. Counselor Averett in no way conveyed any gender related treatment of me or ever delayed any progress on my case or situation. On the contrary, Counselor Averett was totally responsive to all my questions, she had my upper most interest in mind (even though I was a bit unique in my caring how people were treated in this process), and she treated me as though I was her ONLY CLIENT, very rare in this area of law. This is a totally honest and unemotional review of my experience with the Averett Family Law office, Chapel Hill, NC. I would highly recommend this Law office without any hesitation to my friends or anyone seeking assistance in family law as Counselor Averett truly cares!!!
A Happy Client
“I endorse this lawyer. Melissa is one of the best trial attorney’s I have ever had the pleasure of being in a courtroom with. She zealously represents all her clients with expert skills and knowledge.”
Robert Craig, Family Attorney
One thing no one will prepare you for when going through a divorce is the emotional toll you will experience, which will be magnified if children are involved. There will be many dark days when your mind is cluttered, and the possibility of making emotionally-charged bad decisions will lead to missteps. That is why you want an attorney who will guide you through those days with clarity, help you separate the negative feelings from the valid ones, and be there to advise and protect you. I would not have been able to go through this challenging journey without the support of Austin and Melissa and the tremendous help of Mandy, Marissa, and Perla. You will find empathy, and trust me when I say you need it as much as you need Austin and Melissa’s determination to fight for you and get what is rightfully yours. I wholeheartedly recommend Averett Family Law.
Vanessa
“Melissa is an approachable and outstanding attorney who is committed to her clients day in and day out. She is knowledgeable and a force to be reckoned with in the courtroom. Whenever I have a client in her service area, I send them directly to her.”
Katherine Hudson, Litigation Attorney