Tonya Graser Smith

Ms. Smith focuses her practice on family law including divorce, child custody, child support, alimony, equitable distribution, and other family law matters. Since 2007, she has been practicing family and domestic law exclusively in Mecklenburg and surrounding counties. In 2011, Ms. Smith completed an eight-day trial school program through the American Bar Association Family Law Section.  Since 2013, Tonya has remained a North Carolina Board Certified Specialist in Family Law.  In 2015, she completed a two-day training for Collaborative Law Practice and is a member of the Charlotte Collaborative Divorce Professionals.

Ms. Smith believes families are the most important part of an individual’s life. Family relationships - good or bad, easy or difficult - help to shape one’s life and the lives of the other very important people that surround him/her. Ms. Smith believes her clients have a right and duty to protect and provide for their family. In order to protect the family and make children the number one priority, one must first have control over family finances and be able to provide for himself/herself.

The decisions clients face in family law situations regarding family and finances are of upmost importance and should not be made without competent guidance from an attorney after reviewing the personal circumstances from all angles. Ms. Smith strives to have the highest quality working relationship with her clients so that her client are informed, educated, and confident in their decisions on how to address their family law matters.

Ms. Smith's role as an attorney is to help her clients navigate through litigation or settlement proceedings strategically and efficiently. When presenting a client’s case she ensures her client’s goals are highly emphasized throughout the process. To achieve the best possible outcome, Ms. Smith believes she and her clients must work together to be creative, employ logical solutions, and use all the tools available through the settlement or litigation proceedings.

Ms. Smith grew up in East Tennessee outside of Knoxville. She attended West Virginia University where she earned her Bachelors of Arts Degree in Political Science and graduated from the Honors College. After college, she spent a year working as a consultant for Delta Gamma Fraternity which had her work all over the United States and in Canada. Ms. Smith then attended law school at Texas Tech University School of Law where she was selected in her third year of law school to participate in the Civil Legal Assistance Clinic where she was the lead attorney on a variety of civil cases including many family law matters.

Upon graduation from Texas Tech Law and passing the North Carolina Bar Exam, Ms. Smith relocated to Charlotte and began her practice of law. She focused her practice on family law and domestic matters first with Hatcher Law Group, P.C. She then opened the Charlotte office of the national family law firm Cordell Law, LLP. Ms. Smith now brings her unique skills and compassion for her clients through her years of experience. She finds her work and relationships with clients most rewarding as she is able to help clients achieve their goals, protect their families, and allow them to financially provide for their families and themselves.