Arden Family Lawyers

Jason is a 1993 graduate of Oak Ridge Military Academy. From there, he attended The Citadel, the military college of South Carolina. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in business administration in 1997. Jason attended Cumberland School of Law, at Samford University, in Birmingham, Alabama where he received his Juris Doctorate in 2000. He has been a member of the North Carolina State Bar since 2001. Jason has practiced law full time in the Iredell County and surrounding areas since 2001 and joined the firm of Gottholm, Ralston and Benton, PLLC in 2014. Jason practices primarily in...

Paul J. Ditz has been practicing law in Cleveland County, NC and surrounding counties for nearly 20 years. He has extensive experience in both criminal and civil courts having tried dozens of cases during that time. As a former prosecutor, he possesses the insight necessary to prepare and present your case successfully and to help you get the best result under the law.

Mike Godley has practiced family law in Mooresville, North Carolina for 31 years. Family law deals with issues concerning the break up of a marriage such as divorce, custody of children, child support, spousal support and division of property. Family law also involves issues prior to marriage such as prenuptial agreements and issues after marriage such as separation agreements.

Mike serves his clients as an educator, adviser and advocate through the legal system, which can often be very confusing, frustrating, and time-consuming without a guide to help through the process.

Mike Godley is also a mediator who helps parties and their...

Attorney Anderson is a passionate, knowledgeable, and dedicated attorney who stands with her clients every step of the way. After spending over a decade in the health care industry, that experience coupled with her experience as an attorney has positioned her to deliver unparalleled service to her clients. Her experience allows her to seamlessly analyze medical records and apply the law to determine the validity of medical malpractice cases, nursing home abuse cases, and personal injury cases.

Attorney Anderson also focuses on Immigration cases. Immigration law is not just a professional choice; it is a calling. As an immigrant,...

Matthew Damon Byerley was born and raised in Alexander County, graduating from Alexander Central High School in 2003. Matthew is a 2007 graduate of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology. He obtained his law degree from Elon University School of Law in 2011. While at Elon Law, Matthew concentrated his studies in general practice and litigation. He became a licensed attorney in North Carolina in August 2011, and has been practicing in Alexander and the surrounding counties since that time. Matthew and his wife, Catherine, also an attorney, reside in Conover, North...

I am a North Carolina native who was born in Marion, but grew up in Rutherfordton. While I was truly blessed to be raised in a loving, caring, and stable home, I realized at a young age that not everyone had that opportunity and always had a heart to help my friends who were hurting. Upon graduating high school, I began working with my father who has a real estate office in Bat Cave, North Carolina, while at the same time, attending Gardner-Webb University. I was seeking what direction to go with my career. At the...

Ever since I was a young child and even through college, I have personally witnessed family members and very close friends endure divorce, child custody battles, bankruptcy, civil lawsuits and even fraudulent criminal accusations. I both saw and experienced the stress such events can place on an individual, and I realized that everyone, at some point in their life, needs hope, comfort, and encouragement. In each one of those situations, the person that was best situated to provide that vital support was their lawyer. So that’s why I became an attorney. I understand what you are going through—and...

Matthew attended North Carolina State University and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts in History and from the University of Alabama School of Law in 2006 with a Juris Doctorate. He is a partner at Gottholm, Ralston and Benton, PLLC since the firm’s inception in 2014, and was a partner at The Law Offices of Benton & Welborn, PLLC from 2006 until 2011, and The Law Offices of Gottholm, Welborn and Benton, PLLC from 2012-2013. Matthew’s practice primarily focuses on family law, criminal law and civil litigation. Matthew is an experienced litigator, and tries...

Bryan is the Managing Partner at Harbinson, Brzykcy & Corbett, LLP, located in his hometown of Statesville, North Carolina, and serves citizens in an around Iredell and Alexander counties. Bryan's areas of practice include traffic violations, DWI arrests, criminal defense, family law, personal injury, estate planning, and business/civil litigation. Bryan takes enormous pride in his community and looks forward to continuing to enrich the lives of friends and neighbors in the months and years ahead.

Experienced Trial Attorney. Honest and Dependable and ready to help in your time of need. Effective representation at reasonable rates.

After more than a decade of practicing as a family law attorney, I know that when our clients contact us, they are typically making one of the biggest decisions of their lives. They each have somehow empowered themselves enough to make the journey to change what he or she has known…whether it was for one year or twenty years. I understand it is not always hard for everyone, but change affects us all. I see it with my clients. I saw it with my own parents. In hindsight, I have to believe that the events of my childhood led...

J. Denice (Payne) von Gnechten was born and raised in the Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina where her family of origin still resides. Her parents divorced when she was 15 so she has a special understanding of families transitioning through difficult periods, such as separation/divorce.  Denice attended East Burke High School, then the University of Denver . She transferred to the University of San Diego and spent a semester abroad in Oxford, U.K., graduating with honors with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology in 1989. After working as a litigation paralegal for a number of years in Denver,...

Personal, Professional attention to select clients.

Christina Clodfelter was raised in Statesville, NC, and is a graduate of Statesville High School. She received a B.A. degree in Political Science and English from the University of South Carolina in 2007. She then returned to North Carolina where she received her Juris Doctorate from the University of North Carolina School of Law. Ms. Clodfelter lives in Statesville and practices in the Statesville office. Ms. Clodfelter is excited to be practicing law in her hometown. She enjoys spending time with her family, who has strong ties to the Statesville community, and is an active South Carolina Gamecock fan.

Deirdre A. Farrington is a family law attorney and NCDRC-certified family financial mediator in Boone, North Carolina. She accepts cases in Watauga County and surrounding counties, including Ashe, Alleghany, Avery, Mitchell and Yancey Counties. She is a member of the North Carolina State Bar, the Watauga County Bar Association, the Virginia State Bar, and the Florida Bar Association.

Huntersville divorce and family law attorney David Self has been practicing law for over 10 years. He focuses exclusively on family law matters, choosing to hone his skill in this important and impactful legal arena. David is Board Certified in Family Law by the North Carolina Board of Legal Specialization and is also a mediator, and he applies his expertise to his practice, fighting every single day for his clients’ rights and interests. David handles cases involving contested and uncontested divorce, divorce mediation, same-sex divorce, child custody, alimony, child support, modifications of orders, separation agreements, and more. He earned his...

Family law is an often stressful, personal, and emotional matter. Whether I am representing a client as their attorney or serving as a family law mediator, I know it’s important to be responsive, prepared, and understanding of both the personal and legal implications of a family law case. My entire legal practice involves helping spouses and parents navigate an often tumultuous time in their lives and helping them through education, counsel, and legal advocacy towards a better, more stable, and more satisfying outcome. I pride myself on being able to help parties negotiate compromised settlements, either as an attorney or...