Meet Theresa E. Viera, Divorce Attorney, Arbitrator, Certified Mediator, and Founder, Modern Legal
Theresa Viera unfortunately experienced the court system when she was just a young child. Growing up in a family of domestic violence, she experienced firsthand both the frightening and courageous journey of her mom exiting out of a toxic situation. It is that history that gave her hope and inspiration to become who she is today: a family law attorney, an arbitrator, a certified mediator, and the founder of her successful law firm, Modern Legal.
I was connected to Theresa last year through a colleague, and after our conversations, have the utmost respect for her accomplishments and her passion not only to help people going through a divorce, but to change how communities address legal matters. When asked why she became a family law attorney, Theresa said her facial expression usually reads, “If you only knew.”
I am absolutely so excited to add Theresa as a Divorced Girl Smiling Trusted Professional, and am beyond confident in her abilities not only as a divorce lawyer and mediator, but as a role model for inspiration, courage and integrity.
Sincerely,
Jackie Pilossoph, Founder, Divorced Girl Smiling
Theresa’s Bio:
Theresa Viera attended George Washington University in Washington, DC, for her undergraduate studies. Thereafter, she attended the University of North Carolina School of Law in Chapel Hill. Over many years of practicing law with a focus on Family Law, she has been able to expand her skills in oration, writing, and legal thinking. More importantly though, Theresa has been able to help hundreds of clients and their families find healthy solutions by utilizing the law.
Every family is unique. Many cases may be resolved outside of the courthouse with the use of negotiations, mediation, or collaborative law; however, a number of cases will need the assistance of a Judge via the litigation process. Theresa helps her clients utilize each legal tool available to ensure a fitting solution for their specific family’s situation.
“And if I am able, I hope to go one step further: I want to inspire others as my mother’s attorney inspired me.” – Theresa Viera, J.D.
Associations
- American Bar Association, Family Law Section
- North Carolina State Bar
- North Carolina Bar Association
- Mecklenburg County Bar, Family Law Section
- Former Chair of the Mecklenburg County Bar Family Law Section
- Association of Latino Professionals For America
- Women Lawyers of Charlotte
- Playing for Others Board Member
About Modern Legal
We help turn confusion into confidence, helplessness into empowerment, and frustration into action.
Legal representation in family law matters involves more than the black-and-white letter of the law. In North Carolina and South Carolina, our Modern Legal team can help you navigate the legal system when the law and your family collide.
- Divorce
- Mediation
- Child custody
- Child support
- Spousal support
- Property and debt
- Domestic violence
- Termination of parental rights
- Adoption
- Estate planning
Learn more about Modern Legal here.
Other Attorneys at Modern Legal:
I did not know I wanted to be an attorney until I was a client.
Although I spent most of my childhood dreaming of a career in medicine, the trajectory of my professional future shifted the summer after my freshman year of college. I had just gotten out of an abusive relationship and was excited about starting over and moving on. However, as is common for many domestic survivors, ending the relationship came with consequences. My abuser’s actions continued to escalate until it got to the point that I needed to hire an attorney and take legal action.
The next several years were filled balancing schoolwork with interviews, legal paperwork, and court hearings – a challenge I would have struggled to face alone. My attorney guided me through each stage of the process, providing me with the knowledge to make informed decisions and supporting me along the way. Working with my attorney showed me just how valuable it is to have an advocate in your corner, and it was through this experience that I realized I wanted to pursue a legal career.
Once in law school, I quickly discovered my passion for family law. It not only allowed me to utilize my creative problem-solving skills, but it also provided me with the opportunity to connect with clients and make a positive impact. I genuinely enjoy getting to know each client and helping them find the best solution for their family and unique circumstance.
I know firsthand how overwhelming it is to navigate the legal system while simultaneously enduring an incredibly vulnerable and emotional time. I remember often feeling drained, frustrated, and, at times, disheartened during the legal process. However, when I reflect on those years today, I feel completely different: those memories serve as a reminder of my tenacity and resilience, and led me to where I am today. There is a sense of empowerment that follows fighting for your rights and coming out the other side. Now, as an attorney, I want to make sure each of my clients can experience that feeling as well.
Associations
- North Carolina State Bar
- Mecklenburg County Bar
In the end, it will always come back to the family – the family you are born into and the family you create for yourself. Your family comprises the people you wake up for day in and day out for, they are who you fight for, and they are the reason you push to create a better, more secure future. Often times, the law is necessary to bring resolutions to fruition, and that is when I am available to help make those resolutions reality.
My journey in becoming an attorney has been a full circle. I recall saying I wanted to be a lawyer at a very young age. Throughout the years that wish morphed into a few different goals, yet at the center of any goal was always the desire to help others.
As the oldest child of a single-parent divorced household, I saw the additional worries my mother endured while making sure my brother and I needed for nothing. I also saw and felt how important it was to have a supportive community around us while we continued moving toward our goals. Having that supportive community showed me that having a safe, thriving family is not something one does alone.
After attending Northern Illinois University, I relocated and attended the University of South Carolina and entered their dual-degree program in Law and Social Work. Once I entered the dual-degree program, I quickly determined the scheduled coursework did not fit my needs and my goals. After repeatedly being told “no,” I was able to create a unique path that was more suited for my needs and desires. In the process, I helped produce additional paths of study for future students of the dual-degree program.
During my studies and as a counselor to abuse victims, the law was not simply theoretical or something to have philosophical debates over. For years I saw and heard first-hand accounts of how the law could have real, immeasurable impacts on the lives of people and their families. Seeing and hearing about the immediate impacts that legal resolutions had on families is what brought me back to my initial goal I began saying to myself as a young child.
As the first attorney in my family, the first graduate of the JD/MSW program at University of South Carolina in over 15 years, a collegiate gymnast, and the product of a long list of individuals who made my journey possible, I combined my unique skill set to becoming a Family Law Attorney. I utilize all the skills imparted to me on this journey to bring about the best legal resolutions for each client’s unique situation. Whether you need the law to assist as you create your family, to help protect the family you have, or to secure your family’s future for generations to come, I am ready and willing to work with you as we bring your family needed resolutions.
Associations:
- North Carolina State Bar
- South Carolina State Bar
- Mecklenburg County Bar, Family Law Section
- Pauli Murray LGBTQ+ Bar Association
Prior to practicing family law, I worked for many years in the financial industry. While I enjoyed this career in business, I wanted to do more – I wanted to make an impact on the lives of my community that would empower my clients throughout the test of time. I wanted to work to make lives better and inspire people to make important decisions for themselves and for their families.
I completed my undergraduate degree in Business at Queens University in Charlotte, North Carolina. Eighteen years later (2003) I received my law degree from Syracuse University College of Law. And, for over fifteen years, I have represented children through the Council For Children’s Rights Custody Advocacy Program.
Determined to learn everything I could about my community and what I could do to make a difference in people’s lives, I embarked on a career in the law. Specifically, and initially, I worked with the underserved community and went on to work with all families facing a chaotic time in their lives. Upon graduation in 2003, I began my career with Legal Aid in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In February of 2005, I left Winston-Salem to begin working exclusively in the family law area in the greater Charlotte metropolitan area, and I love every aspect of this area of law. I not only find it rewarding because I have the privilege of assisting clients to resolve matters of the upmost importance with their families, but I also work hard to educate and empower clients to make decisions to better their situation and the situation of their families.
For many, the family law process may be the first time that clients understand they have the power to make real change in their lives, and I enjoy helping people understand how these changes are important to both the client and the client’s family.
Through my life experiences, I understand the challenges people face and how one decision can impact the rest of a client’s life. Life-changing events such as separation, divorce, or child custody disputes are difficult. My knowledge of the law and life experience will assist clients through the process so clients can begin regaining control of their own life again.
As part of my journey in looking for creative and wise ways to help clients find resolutions, I am also a trained collaborative attorney as well as a certified mediator with the NC Dispute Resolution Commission in both family financial matters and superior court matters. All this experience – litigation, negotiation, mediation, and collaboration – allows me to cast a wide web when working with clients to find creative solutions to issues.
Associations
- Council For Children’s Rights, Former President and Current Board Member
- North Carolina State Bar
- North Carolina Bar Association, Dispute Resolution Incoming President
- Mecklenburg County Bar, Family Law Section
- Mecklenburg County Bar, Grievance Committee Member
- Former Chair of the Mecklenburg County Bar Family Law Section
- Charlotte Collaborative Law Professionals
My journey to be a family law attorney began before I was even born. As a child of surrogacy, legal minds were already sorting through the details of my existence before anyone knew I too would become an attorney helping families. I now have wonderful relationships with my parents, as well as my birth mother, and I am grateful to the attorneys who made it all happen.
Every family’s story is unique and I love connecting with clients on a human level and walking with them through an often-challenging time in their life. Each case requires its own balance of compassion and diligence, and I understand the importance of having an advocate in your corner when navigating an emotional, yet professional environment.
I have always loved advocating for children and my passion for educational equity inspired me to apply to the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, where I aimed to advance the right to education for young girls globally. At Georgetown, I concentrated my studies on international law and human rights, focusing my research on violence against women and children in times of conflict. This research led me to work with an international human rights agency in Washington, DC where I advocated for global anti-human trafficking efforts. The opportunity to meet and build relationships with survivors of some of the most egregious crimes against humanity was incredibly formative and made me dedicated to fighting for those who are vulnerable in the justice system.
I continued my passion for advocacy as an AmeriCorps Teaching Fellow in an underserved community in DC. While teaching 9th grade algebra classes, I functioned as a mentor to my students and built meaningful relationships with them, as well as with their families. Given complicated family situations and unstable living conditions, several of my students often relied on me as a support system. The stories and struggles that my students shared with me were incredibly impactful, and largely influenced my decision to pursue a legal career. With the aspirations of becoming an attorney, I pursued my Juris Doctorate at the University of North Carolina School of Law in Chapel Hill.
In law school, I gained valuable experience working with survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and harassment, as well as families facing hardship. Through opportunities with Safe Alliance, UNC’s Domestic and Sexual Violence Clinic, and the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence, I assisted survivors in court and advocated for legal policies affecting them. As a judicial intern in juvenile court, I witnessed a range of abuse, dependency-neglect, and families in need of services cases. I also helped families access vital health care and public benefits through the Family Support and Health Care team at the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this meaningful work and continue to be inspired and motivated by relationships with clients, understanding their stories, and helping them to assert their rights. I am eager to continue this advocacy and am ready and willing to work with you on any of your family law needs.
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Testimonials:
Life-Saving Legal Team
Almost 2 years ago today I made the very difficult decision to end my 2 decades of marriage after my “I do” became an “I don’t”. The associated legal process of separation and divorce in North Carolina is complex; however consulting with and ultimately hiring Theresa E. Viera was a life-saving move on my part. Theresa is a great teacher and explains each part of the process in a manner that allows you to make the best decisions possible during a highly emotional time. She is well respected in the community and the courthouse and runs a firm full of legal experts who are life-saving. I ended my process successfully and could not have done so without Theresa and her team guiding me, checking in on me, and ushering me into the next phase of my life. Although divorce is a sad situation, she led me to a place of celebration. I really could not have asked for a better situation. – Rene
Great team who guided me expertly through the process
I was very lucky to find Ms Viera and her team. They were a pleasure to deal with, provided excellent and timely information and communication, and assisted me in every step of the process. They assisted me through a couple of bumps in the road perfectly and even in a time where it is very difficult to make a personal connection I felt their empathy, and that was greatly appreciated. Clear and concise through the whole process, made it easy to trust them to get the resolution requested. – James
Professional, Knowledgeable, Savvy
Theresa and Carrie helped me through a multi-year very contentious divorce and I would highly recommend their service. Theresa is very familiar with the legal system and thoughtful in providing guidance on how to achieve the best outcome. In the courtroom she’s well prepared, knows how the system works, and garners the respect of others – everything you need from someone advocating on your behalf. Carrie does a masterful job in keeping the process moving and ensuring your case is well prepared. As a team they work great together and you’ll be well represented. – David
Highly recommend attorney, Viera
Attorney Viera represented me in my separation/divorce with the utmost professionalism and attention to detail. She was able to navigate me through a very difficult and emotional process with grace and a true concern for my best interests allowing me to get the best possible outcome in my situation. I would highly recommend Attorney Viera! – Jackie
My Review
Theresa was amazing to work with. She was knowledgeable, timely, and made us feel at ease with what was a difficult situation. She was everything I needed her to be and I would highly recommend her to anyone who is in need of a family law attorney. – Tanya
Excellent Attorney
I have never been in a custody battle, so I knew absolutely nothing about the process, costs , expectations, etc. After meeting Theresa I knew that I had someone that would fight for what was right. That was very important to me because she always made sure to keep me focused on what was best for my child, and kept me in the middle of the road when I started to veer off by putting my emotional concerns ahead of what needed to be done. Thank you. Because of her I was able stay the course mentally and emotionally. And she would even let me vent sometimes lol. And she is THOROUGH. I mean thorough, thorough. I mean she was so good that she ended up wrapping our case up sooner than everyone expected, and I don’t think the opposing party saw her coming because she moved so much faster than they did. We started our case in the latter part of 2016, closer to October, We ended up wrapping our Custody battle in February and child support by May of 2017, but a lot of this was due to a lack of movement from the other side. She’s not here to waste your money or your time, and she was very honest about everything, unlike some lawyers who are clearly in it for the money, Theresa really wants what it absolutely best for the child(ren) involved. You can tell that she is sensitive about that. She doesn’t lead you on by making empty promises or threats. She tells you what it is legal and fair, which meant the world to someone who was unexpectedly served, and had no clue as to what to do. I know this is a novel, but I really can’t say enough about her. In the end we were able to craft agreement that I was totally satisfied with, and we were able to avoid court, and everything thing that she said would happen did (To Theresa: We’re still in phase one…and it’s July). Thank you for being an amazing lawyer, And y’all she’s really tiny, but you will quickly see that big things really do come in small packages 🙂 Thank you for everything. Hire Her!!!! – Courtney
Articles by Theresa:
