Margery Chantal Crawley-Degraffenreid

Senior Associate Chantal Crawley brings over 10 years of experience to the firm’s Family Law Team. In addition to family law, Chantal has practiced Native American law, immigration law, and criminal defense.

Before joining R&H, Chantal prevailed as a voracious immigration and criminal defense attorney. Chantal litigated removal defense cases in various immigration courts held through the United States Department of Justice. She assisted on appeals to the First and Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and criminal defense cases in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Chantal eventually transitioned to focusing solely on family law for the nation’s largest domestic relations firm. There, she served on the appellate team, working on appeals in various states as either the primary attorney or advising and assisting the state-licensed attorney in successfully appealing.

Representative Matters:

Defended a service member – Successfully defended a service member against a Military Order of Protection, allowing the service member and their spouse to work through attorneys and state courts

Adjusted alimony – Persuaded the New Hampshire Supreme Court to adjust a trial court’s alimony order to align with alimony statutes

Prevented further child abuse – Obtained a temporary order allowing a parent to move out of state with their child to avoid abusive step-siblings in the other parent's home

Negotiated a new plea agreement – Demonstrated the client lacked understanding of the original plea deal, resulting in a new trial and ultimately a new plea agreement