Heather W. Forshey

- Owner
Location:
Raleigh, North Carolina
Phone:
Fax:
Email:
Attorney Heather Williams Forshey opened Raleigh Divorce Law Firm in May 2010. She is a Board-Certified Family Law Specialist, is certified as a family financial mediator by the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission, and is also a Certified Parenting Coordinator.
Heather was selected as a Super Lawyer in 2021 & 2022, an honor given to 5% of attorneys. Over the prior seven consecutive years, she has been named a Rising Star by North Carolina Super Lawyers, an honor given to no more than 2.5% of attorneys who practice family law in N.C.
Heather has exclusively practiced North Carolina family law since 2006. In that time, she has earned a reputation for providing knowledgeable, highly skilled legal counsel to clients contemplating divorce or struggling with family law issues, such as custody. Her firm only handles divorce, domestic issues, adoptions, appeals of family law issues, and related matters. She is an experienced litigator and has focused her family law practice on the area of child custody and modifications of child custody.
Heather has been a speaker at continuing legal education courses on topics including equitable distribution, child custody, parental alienation, and child support. She most recently served as the moderator for a panel of judges at the National Business Institute's "What Family Court Judges Want You to Know" seminar in December 2018. While the majority of Heather's practice focuses on cases in the Raleigh area, Heather has also handled cases in Smithfield, Lillington, Sanford, Chapel Hill, Durham, and surrounding areas.
Heather went to law school at Wake Forest University, where she was on Law Review and a member of the Moot Court Board. Heather was a finalist in the law school's Moot Court oral argument competition during her first year and continued to compete successfully in oral argument competitions during the rest of her law school career.
Heather has been involved in pro bono efforts with the Guardian ad Litem program serving abused and neglected children since 2001, first as a GAL volunteer advocate for children in court proceedings, and currently as an attorney appellate advocate in assigned cases. She worked in family services for the Head Start program before attending law school, where she developed a passion for helping families in crisis that has continued to this day. Heather currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Friends of Wake County Guardian ad Litem Program, which serves the needs of foster children in Wake County.
Heather is an extremely experienced family law attorney who will pay attention to the unique details of every case and fight aggressively for a client's rights when needed. She is someone you would want on your side when going through a divorce or a stressful family situation.
Areas Of Practice
- Family Law
- Child Support and Children's Rights
- Custody & Visitation
- Divorce
- Mediation
- Adoption
- Alimony and Spousal Support
- Domestic Violence & Neglect
- Paternity
- Prenuptial Agreements
- State Appellate Practice
- Equitable Distribution
- High Asset Divorce
Certified Legal Specialties
- NC State Bar Board Certified Specialist in Family Law
- DRC-Certified Family Financial Mediator, Dispute Resolution Commission of NC, 2012
- Certified Parenting Coordinator
Bar Admissions
- North Carolina, 2006
Education
- Wake Forest University School of Law, Winston Salem, North Carolina
- J.D. - 2006
- Honors: Member, Moot Court Board
- Elon University, Burlington, North Carolina
- B.A. - 2002
- Honors: cum laude
- Honors: All-American Scholar
- Honors: National Dean's List
- Major: Psychology
Classes/Seminars
- Advanced Custody and Support Issues, December 13, 2019
- As Judges See It: Top Mistakes Attorneys Make in Family Court, December 6, 2019
- Family Law From A to Z: Successfully Resolve Your Clients' Family Law Issues, February, 2019
- Moderator for the National Business Institute’s “What Family Court Judges Want You to Know” Seminar, December 2018
- Family Law Conference: What Do You Do When?, Speaker on “When Child and Spousal Support Calculations Get Complicated” and “When Parental and Third-Party Rights are Disputed”, National Business Institute, December 2016
- Program Chair of the First Annual Family Law Specialization Review CLE, North Carolina Advocates for Justice, September 2015
- Practicing Family Law in the Triangle: What You Need to Know Now, September, 2014, North Carolina Advocates for Justice
- Preparation and Use of Financial Affidavits, September 2012, North Carolina Advocates for Justice
- Preparing the Equitable Distribution of Inventory Affidavits and the Final Equitable Distribution Order, 2009, Half Moon Seminars - "Equitable Distribution Workshop"
Honors and Awards
- Selected to Super Lawyers: 2021- 2022
- Super Lawyers Rising Stars, 2014 - 2020
Professional Associations and Memberships
- North Carolina Bar Association, Family Law Section, Member, 2006 to Present
- Wake County Bar Association, Member, 2006 to Present
- Family Law Section of NC Academy of Trial Lawyers, Member, 2006 to Present
- Wake Women Attorneys, 2018 to Present
Pro Bono Activities
- Guardian ad Litem Appellate Advocate
- Legal Aid Volunteer for the Lawyers Program for Domestic Violence
- Secretary of Board of Directors for the Friends of Wake County Guardian ad Litem Program
- Volunteer for the Wake County In-Court Volunteer Mediation Program
- Volunteer for The Child’s Advocate Program through Wake County Legal Aid
- Host Sponsor and Committee Planning Member for the Light the Way GALA for the Friends of Wake County GAL Program, serving abused and neglected children in Wake County
Fraternities / Sororities
- Phi Alpha Delta
- Sigma Kappa