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Kristy L. Parton, Attorney at Law

I am a native of and reside in Swain County, North Carolina. I graduated from Swain County High School in 1994, and earned my BA in English in 1998 and my MA in Writing and Editing in 2001. After college, I worked in the publishing industry as a copy editor before deciding to return to school to pursue my first career interest, law. I graduated with my JD from the University of Kentucky in May 2008, and I opened my own law firm at the end of that year.

Since starting my own firm, I have worked primarily in family law. I handle many civil custody, divorce, equitable distribution, and other family law matters each year. Additionally, I have served as parent’s counsel on numerous DSS cases throughout the years and have been the DSS attorney for Swain County since 2014. Cases involving children offer the biggest challenges in family law practice as the deciding factor in a custody case is the nebulous “best interests of the minor child” standard. As an attorney, I always have to try to work out what a judge is likely to find regarding the best interests of the minor children and to balance that with my role as an advocate for my client. Over my years of practice, I have become talented at understanding these cases well enough to predict what a judge will generally do in these matters and advising my clients appropriately. Given the often heightened emotions involved in these cases, I understand the need for sensitivity when addressing the concerns of hurt and/or angry people.

As an attorney, I pride myself on my honesty and ability to work with other attorneys. I maintain an excellent working relationship with almost every attorney I practice with. Like everyone else, I strive to be on time and prepared when I come to Court, out of respect for my client’s money and opposing counsel and the Court’s time. When I encounter new issues, I do not hesitate to do research and ask questions of those with more experience or expertise than myself. And when I make mistakes, I acknowledge them, accept my blame, apologize when necessary, and attempt to fix my mistakes as quickly and efficiently as possible.