Jim Siemens

Certified Family Law Specialist

The Buncombe County Family Court and Offices have moved to the third floor of the Courthouse in reasonably renovated space.  The Family Court offices are accessible, functional and seem comfortable for the Family Court case managers.  There are 2 new courtrooms on this floor which are equally comfortable and functional.

The Family Court bench has changed as well.  The Honorable Ward D. Scott, Andrea F. Dray and Rebecca B. Knight now preside exclusively in Family Court.  Judge Julie M. Kepple, who began her career as a District Court Judge in Family Court, is now handling criminal matters primarily.

Conference space for lawyers and clients remains inadequate on the 3rd floor in our view.  There are also no wireless signals available in the Buncombe County courthouse.  We typically solve these deficiencies by meeting with clients on the 10th floor of the courthouse in library conference rooms.  We bring our PCs and portable printer in order to deliver services that are not otherwise readily available in the building.

We continue to support the efforts of the Family Court program and believe it is the right paradigm.  We appreciate the hard work of the Family Court case managers and staff.  And we appreciate the dedication, competence and patience demonstrated by the Family Court bench and clerks on a daily basis.