Donna Ambler Rice, Esq.

Donna received her B.A. degree magna cum laude from Montclair State College in May, 1985 and her Juris Doctorate from Washington & Lee University School of Law in May, 1988.  She is the past Chairperson of the Children’s Issues Committee of the Family Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association, the past Chairperson of the Orange County's Family Lawyers' Association, the past Secretary/Treasurer of the Judicial District 18 Bar Association and the former Chairperson of the North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyer’s Family Law Section.  She is currently a member of the North Carolina State Bar Association, the North Carolina Bar Association and its Family Law Section, the Judicial District 18 Bar Association, the Orange County Bar Association, North Carolina Advocates for Justice, the North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys, The Academy of Family Mediators and the Triangle Collaborative Family Law Association.

Donna has also successfully advocated before the Supreme Court of North Carolina and prevailed for her clients in the following cases:

• In the Matter of the Adoption of P.E.P., 407 S.E.2d 505, 329 N.C. 692 (N.C., 1991) – The Supreme Court held that violations by adoptive parents and their attorney of statute prohibiting any fee or compensation for placing or arranging adoption of child, together with numerous other irregularities in adoption case, invalidated adoption proceeding; and

• Petersen v. Rogers, 445 S.E.2d 901, 337 N.C. 397 (N.C., 1994) – The Supreme Court held that (1) natural parents’ constitutionally protected paramount right to custody, care and control of their child outweighed interests of a married couple seeking to adopt the child, and (2) a married couple seeking to adopt the child had no right to visitation or to file action requesting visitation period.

Donna has a true passion for being a family law attorney and describes her career as follows:  

“For me, being a family law attorney is not just a job. It is who I am.  I think about cases in the middle of the night.  And I’m often jumping out of the shower to jot down a note about a client’s case.  The reward for me is seeing people become their best selves.  It’s a long road, but I enjoy helping people rebuild their lives; helping them find a place of stability and health.  Whether it’s mediation, litigation, or some combination, we are as creative as possible – working for our clients’ best interest and to guide them to a place of wholeness.”

Robin F. Verhoeven Esq.

Robin received her B.S. degree in Political Science cum laude from Frostburg State University in May 1989 and her Juris Doctorate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law in 1998.  While in law school, Robin competed successfully with the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court team and the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court team, winning titles for writing and oral arguments at both the national and international level.  Also while in law school, Robin worked with the North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault (NCCASA) as the Legislative Intern and after graduation from law school as their Interim Executive Director.  She is exceptionally proud of her contributions with NCCASA involving the inception of the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) PROGRAM IN North Carolina.  Robin owned her own family law firm prior to joining Donna Ambler Davis, P.C. and also worked with the franklin Law Center prior to Susan R. Franklin’s retirement.  She is currently a member of the North Carolina State Bar, the North Carolina Bar Association, the Judicial District 18 Bar, and the Orange County Bar Association.  Robin is licensed to practice in all District and Superior Courts in North Carolina and is also licensed to practice in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. 

“Peopled often ask how I can practice family law, because they assume (correctly!) that it is an emotionally stressful area of law for an attorney.  I generally respond that I have an above-average sense of humor and an easily accessible and well-appointed happy place.  Both are true.  I believe that laughter is the best medicine and I can conjure up an image of sitting on a peaceful beach somewhere in a skinny minute – this is a good trick when you’re having your blood pressure monitored at the doctor’s office, by the way.  Family law clients are often in the midst of one of the most stressful events in their lives.  I tell them that I cannot promise that the process (whether that process is negotiation, mediation, or litigation) will be easy or fun, but that I can promise that we will get through it together and that they will experience great relief whenever the situation is resolved.  In the journey of each family law matter, the client is the captain of his or her own ship.  I see my role as a family law attorney as being up in the crow’s nest of each client’s own personal ship, with my eyes focused on the horizon (i.e. the resolution of the case) and providing guidance through the tumultuous seas of the uncertainty to the peaceful shore of resolution.”

Kristin Leigh Belton, Esq.

Kristin received her B.A. degree from Elon University in May, 2004 and her Juris Doctorate degree from Elon University School of Law in May, 2013. Kristin owned her own family law firm prior to joining Donna Ambler Davis, P.C. in 2014. She is a member of the American Bar Association, the Judicial District 18 Bar Association, the North Carolina State Bar, the North Carolina Bar Association,  and its Family Law Section and the North Carolina Advocates for Justice. 

“I consider being an attorney to be both a huge privilege and a huge responsibility. Being a family law attorney- even more so. Individuals come to us when they are facing what is likely the most trying and terrifying experience of their lives and trust us to stand up for them and to solve their problems, no matter how big or how difficult. I believe a great family law attorney has the ability to counsel a client with understanding and to zealously advocate for them while maintaining integrity… and that is always my goal.”