ROBIN J. STINSON

Robin Stinson, a board-certified Family Law Specialist, focuses her practice in all areas of family law and dispute resolution, including complex marital estates and financial issues in equitable distribution, alimony, and child support cases.

Robin has practiced in Winston-Salem and surrounding counties for more than 40 years, having practiced at several family law firms before joining Bell, Davis & Pitt to start its family law practice in 1997.

Robin strives to provide the most cost-effective, practical, and efficient mechanism for case resolution, including options for direct negotiation, mediation, and arbitration or court, if necessary. She is committed to providing the highest level of professionalism and excellence in her representation of both husbands and wives who are facing some of the most difficult times in their lives. She brings patience and compassion to help her clients navigate through the emotional and financial turmoil of separation and divorce.

Robin has been certified as a Family Law Specialist by the North Carolina State Bar since 1991 and is a fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. She is a skilled negotiator and litigator and represents individuals in all facets of family law, including:

Separation
Divorce
Equitable distribution and property division
Child custody and child support
Alimony
Pre-marital, post-marital and separation agreements
Enforcement of orders and agreements.

Robin is an active member of the Family Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association, having served on the Association’s Board of Governors and as chair of the Family Law Section. She is a frequent speaker at continuing legal education seminars. Robin serves as a mediator and arbitrator for family law cases, and as a parenting coordinator in child custody cases.

She is active in her community and church, having served on the Board of Trustees and Staff-Parish committee of her church, and on the board for the UNC Law School Alumni Association.

Born and raised in Winston-Salem, Robin graduated from Reynolds High School, Duke University, and the University of North Carolina School of Law. She has four adult children and two grandchildren.

336.714.4154

100 N Cherry St Winston-Salem, NC 27101

RStinson@belldavispitt.com

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Practice Areas:Divorce and Family Law, Litigation Attorneys, Mediation and Arbitration, Parenting Coordination, Family Law Disputes, Separation Agreements, Absolute Divorce, Child Support

EMAIL ROBIN

"I joined Bell, Davis & Pitt because I wanted to work with great lawyers and fine people who value ethics and professionalism as much as providing outstanding legal service to businesses and individuals."

EDUCATION

Duke University (B.A., cum laude, 1981)

The University of North Carolina School of Law, Chapel Hill (J.D., 1984), Holderness Moot Court Bench

BAR & COURT ADMITTANCE

1984, North Carolina State Bar

United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina

United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit

United States Supreme Court

Certified by N.C. State Bar as Specialist in Family Law since November 1991

Certified by the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission as Mediator for Superior Court

Certified by the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission as Mediator in Family Financial Matters

Completed 24 hours of training as a Parenting Coordinator

Certified as an Arbitrator by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers

PROFESSIONAL & COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

CURRENT

Forsyth County Bar Association

Forsyth County Women Attorneys Association

American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Fellow

Family Law Section, North Carolina Bar Association

Appointed by State Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby to the NC Dispute Resolution Commission

PAST

Secretary, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers North Carolina Chapter

Symposium Co-Chair, North Carolina Chapter of American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers

Personnel Committee, North Carolina Bar Association and Foundation

Oversight Committee, North Carolina Bar Foundation

Board member, UNC Law School Alumni Association

Board member, North Carolina Bar Foundation

Board of Governors, North Carolina Bar Association

Dispute Resolution Council of the North Carolina Bar Association

Family Law Council of the North Carolina Bar Association

Chief Justice Joseph Branch Inn of Court

Associations’ Finance Committee and Board Liaison to the Family Law Section, Board of Governors of the North Carolina Bar Association

Chair, Vice Chair, Council member, Family Forum editor, Homepage editor, Family Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association

President, President elect, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Forsyth County Bar Association/21st Judicial District

Chairman and member, 21st Judicial District Bar Ethics and Grievance Committee

Chairman of the Endowment Committee, North Carolina Bar Association and North Carolina Bar Association Foundation, Inc.

Past president, N.C. Chapter of American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers

Development Committee, North Carolina Bar Association Foundation, Inc.

Chairperson and board member, The Children’s Law Center of Northwest North Carolina

Board member, Legal Aid Society of Northwest North Carolina

Staff-Parrish Relations Committee, Church Council, and Board of Tustees Centenary Methodist Church

Chair and board member, The Montessori School

Board of Directors, Northwest Child Development Council, Inc.

Duke University Annual Fund, Class of 1981

Winston-Salem Alumnae Chapter of Alpha Omicron Pi

AWARDS

Inaugural Class of Women of Justice, presented by North Carolina Lawyers' Weekly, August 2019.

James E. Cross, Jr. Leadership Award presented by the Board of Legal Specialization of the North Carolina State Bar, 2007

YWCA Women of Vision Leadership Award (2002, 2009)

The Best Lawyers in America® in Family Law; Family Law Arbitration; Family Law Mediation (2025)

Best Lawyers in America® “Lawyers of the Year” Family Law Mediation (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2022, 2023, 2024)

Best Lawyers in America® “Lawyers of the Year” Family Law (2025)

Best Lawyers in America® (Recognized since 2007)

Business North Carolina magazine Legal Elite - North Carolina's Most Effective Lawyers for Family Law (2008 – Present)

Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters and Charlotte Magazine in the area of Family Law and listed in the “Top 100 Super Lawyers” in North Carolina and the “Top 50 Women Super Lawyers” in North Carolina, from 2006 to present.

North Carolina Super Lawyers, Top 10 (2023, 2024)

Super Lawyers Family Law, Winston-Salem (2024)

AV rating, Martindale-Hubbell

Recipient of the John B. McMillan Distinguished Service Award presented by the N.C. State Bar (2023)

WRITING & LECTURING EXPERIENCE

North Carolina Bar Association, speaker at October 2021 Family Law Seminar on "Family Law Arbitration"

Legal Aid of North Carolina, speaker at February 2021 Training on Family Law Foundations; Ancilliary Financial Issues in domestic violence cases.

NC Bar Association, Speaker at May 2019 Family Law Section Annual Meeting, "Old Guard Ethics-Todays Records Don't Have the Same Soul";

NC Bar Association, Speaker at 2017/2018 Family Law Intensive Seminar “Tips Aren’t Just for Waiters: Practice Tips for the Most Experienced Family Law Attorney,” speaking on “Random Tips” November 2017 and February 2018;

NC Advocates for Justice; Speaker at Family Law Specialization Exam Review Seminar on “Exam Study Tips and Test-taking Tips,” September 2017;

NC Bar Association, Speaker at 2017 Dispute Resolution Section Annual Meeting on “Thorny Issues and Ethical Minefields in Mediation and Arbitration,” March 2017;

NC Bar Foundation, Speaker at Basics of Family Law Seminar on Client Management Issues; November 2016 and November 2018;

NC Bar Foundation, Speaker at August 2016 Webinar on Ethics Issues in Family Financial Mediations;

NC Bar Foundation, Speaker at February 2016 Dispute Resolution Annual Meeting on "Mediation in Family Law Cases";

NC Bar Foundation, Speaker at November 2015 and February 2016 Intensive Family Law Seminar on “Imputing Income in Alimony and Child Support Cases”;

Advocates for Justice, Speaker at February 2015 Seminar on The Trifecta: Litigating a Family Law Case on “Evidence and Objections”;

N.C. Bar Foundation, Speaker at February 2013 Dispute Resolution Seminar on “Family Law Mediation—To Be or Not to Be”;

NC Bar Foundation, Speaker at November 2014 and 2012 Seminars on The Modern Family Seminar on “Client Contact and Management”;

Advocates for Justice, Speaker at February 2012 Seminar on Discovery in Family Law;

N.C. Bar Foundation, Speaker at February 2012 and October 2011 Intensive Equitable Distribution Seminar on “Third Party Issues in Complex Financial Cases”;

Advocates for Justice 2010 Seminar on Trial Method, Speaker on “Direct Examination: Show Them Your Client’s Story”;

N.C. Bar Foundation, Speaker at 2010 N.C.BA Family Law Section Annual Meeting, 2011 NCBA Legal Assistants Division Annual Meeting, 2012 NCBA Workers’ Compensation Section Annual Meeting, and 2012 AAML Southern Chapter Retreat: “Ethics: Managing the Generation Gap in Technology”;

N.C. Bar Foundation, 2010 Seminar on “50 Top Cases to Know,” Speaker on “Family Law Agreements”;

North Carolina Family Law Specialists 2009 Seminar, Speaker on “Hot Issues In Evidence and Civil Procedure”;

N. C. Bar Foundation, Speaker at 2009 Annual Meeting of Alternate Dispute Resolution Section on “Family Financial Overview”;

N. C. Bar Foundation, Speaker at Estate Planning and Probate Survey Seminar in 2010, 2007, 2004, 2001, 1998, 1996, 1994, and 1991 on "Safeguarding Assets against Marital Breakdown and Divorce”;

Wake Forest University School of Law CLE: Speaker at 2007 Family Law Seminar on “Civil Procedure Issues in Family Law Cases”;

N.C. Bar Foundation, February 17, 2005 on “The Use and Abuse of Private Investigators and Wiretaps and Other Means of Investigation”;

N.C. Bar Foundation, Speaker at November 2005 and February 2006 Intensive Equitable Distribution Seminar on “HIPAA and Obtaining Medical Records in Domestic Cases”;

Wake Forest University School of Law CLE: Speaker at 2005 and 2006 General Practice Seminar on “Family Law Warnings for the General Practitioner”;

Wake Forest University School of Law CLE: Speaker at 2005 and 2006 Family Law Seminar on “Third Party Issues In Family Law Cases”;

Wake Forest University School of Law CLE: Speaker at 2004 N.C. Bar Foundation’s Family Law Seminar on “Civil Procedure Issues In Family Law Cases”;

N.C. Bar Association, Speaker at 2004 Evidentiary Issues in Child Custody Cases: Hot Topics in Family Law Seminar on “Evidentiary Issues In Child Custody Cases – Cutting Through the Red Tape”;

“How to Practice Family Law in North Carolina” seminar, Half-moon, Inc., on “Preparing for and Appearing at Mediation and Trial” 2004;

Forsyth County Bar Association 2003, Adoption Law Case Update;

N.C. Bar Association, “Petitions, Motions and Extraordinary Writs in Appellate Courts”, 2003;

Wake Forest University School of Law CLE: Speaker at 2003 Equitable Distribution Seminar on “Jurisdiction and Third Parties”;

Wake Forest University School of Law CLE: Speaker at 2002 Family Law Seminar on “Third Party Issues 2002”;

N.C. Bar Association: Speaker at 2001 Family Law Intensive Seminar on “Really, What is Marital Debt”;

Wake Forest University School of Law CLE: Speaker at 2001 Family Law Seminar on “Third Party Custody and Grandparent Rights”;

Wake Forest University School of Law CLE: Speaker at 2000 Equitable Distribution Seminar on "Personal Jurisdiction and Other Issues";

Wake Forest University School of Law CLE: Speaker at 1998 and 1995 Family Law Litigation Seminar on "Discovery: Obtaining Documents and Information";

Wake Forest University School of Law CLE: Speaker at 1997 Equitable Distribution Seminar on "To Join or Not to Join: Third Parties in Equitable Distribution Cases”;

Wake Forest University School of Law CLE: Speaker at 1996 Family Law Litigation Seminar on "Selected Evidentiary and Procedural Issues in Domestic Cases";

Wake Forest University School of Law CLE: Speaker at 1995 Family Law Litigation Seminar on "Discovery: Obtaining Documents and Information”;

N.C. Bar Association: Speaker at 1995 Annual Family Law Section Meeting, Charleston, S.C., on "Depositions Upon Written Questions”;

North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers: Speaker at January 1995, Family Law Seminar, Midpines, N.C. on "Preparing and Using Exhibits in Domestic Litigation";

N.C. Bar Association: Speaker at Intensive Equitable Distribution Seminar in Charlotte, N.C., in December 1993, and in Durham, N.C. in February 1994, on "Is Personal/Professional Goodwill Marital Property? A Survey of Case Law on the Valuation of Professional/ Personal Goodwill versus Business/Practice Goodwill”;

North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers: Speaker at Annual Practical Trial Skills Seminar in Raleigh, N.C., in November 1993, presented paper on "Trial Problems in Domestic Litigation”;

Wake Forest University School of Law CLE: Speaker at Practical Family Law Seminar in Raleigh, N.C., on September 23, 1993, on "Civil Procedure, Discovery and Motion Practice in Family Law Cases”;

Wake Forest University School of Law CLE: Speaker at Practical Legal Ethics Seminar in Raleigh, N.C., 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1998 on Ethical and Professional Issues in the Family Law Practice;

North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers: Course Planner for 1992 Family Law Seminar in Raleigh, N.C..

Wake Forest University School of Law CLE: Speaker at Family Law Symposium in Raleigh, N.C., on August 22, 1991, on Expert Witnesses in Domestic Cases; co-authored with Joslin Davis "Chapter 15, Expert Witnesses in North Carolina Family Law Practice Manual," Rev. Ed. 1991, published by Wake Forest University CLE.

North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers: Speaker at Annual Legal Assistants Seminar, July 26, 1991 on "Child Support”;

National Business Institute: Speaker at "Family Law in North Carolina Seminar" in Greensboro, N.C., on March 20, 1991.