Patra Allison Sinner

Licensed in NC and SC | Certified Mediator for NC and SC Divorce Cases | NC Board Certified Family Law Specialist

When I was just starting out as a young family law attorney an opposing counsel who shall remain nameless referred to me as an “ankle-biting bulldog with lipstick.” Funny? Of course. Offensive? Maybe a little. True? It depends.

I trained in my early years with two drastically different attorneys. The first was one of the most feared and well-known family law attorneys around. Mistakes were not acceptable. I often wondered if I would ever get it right as multiple red-inked revisions to my drafts (with expletives) bounced back to me. Over and over again. The writing style was simplistic, but so powerful. Not legal words, but plain and direct statements that cut right to the heart of the analysis of any issue. Litigation was like performance art. Clients paid generously to be in a courtroom with him and they got a show if it became necessary.

The other attorney was a well-respected leader in the collaborative law movement. She taught me the value of professionalism, mediation and client-driven resolutions. She was the anti-thesis of the other approach, but equally and fiercely strong in her own element.

In working with these two polar opposites, I grew into my own style and voice somewhere between “kill them with kindness” unless and until you need to “slay the dragon.” I believe in the practice of law as an art form. Our clients deserve bespoke documents that are as unique as their circumstances; they deserve those well-crafted documents explained to them in a way they can understand; and they deserve our respect and attention during what is very likely a traumatic time. And, if they need it, they deserve a skilled litigator who will come to court more than prepared to advocate for their position.

I am a collector of life experiences and a firm believer that you should seize every opportunity you can to learn and grow. I have gone on from those early days to progress from an attorney managing my own case load, to a litigation manager for an international firm managing multiple Southeastern offices, to my current role as a Principal with my Sodoma Law family which includes training new associates who started out just like me. Although I have been practicing family law for more than 15 years in these changing roles, I do not take for granted the need to be flexible in my approach. What worked in one case may not be productive or progressive in another. It’s our job to figure out what does work for you.

My first step as your family law attorney involves a consultation, but in reality this is a conversation where we talk about your goals and what brought you to my office for family law advice. I will educate and empower you to make good decisions in what is likely a less than desirable situation. I provide options and advice. You make choices. To have an element of control, at least over the chosen path forward, is the beginning of the next phase of your journey. Let’s talk about where you want to go.