Dionne Loy Fortner:
Dionne Loy Fortner obtained her Bachelor’s and Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina and was admitted to the North Carolina Bar in 1995. Since that time, she has almost exclusively dedicated her practice to family law, beginning as an associate at Lucas, Bryant and Denning, PA in Selma, NC from 1995 – 2000, then briefly operating as a solo practitioner until 2001, when she began in the partnership that is now Woodruff & Fortner.
Dionne has been a North Carolina Board Certified Specialist in Family Law since 2004. She has also been a DRC Certified Mediator since 2008 and mediates pre-litigation and litigation family law cases, both in person and by video conference. She enjoys participation in membership and committees of the North Carolina Bar Association and the North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys, where she has served as President. She is a long-time member and former President of the Johnston County Bar Association and Thirteenth (formerly Eleventh) District Bar, and currently serves as North Carolina State Bar Councilor for District Thirteen. She has been featured in North Carolina Super Lawyers magazine and has been designated a member of the Legal Elite by Business North Carolina.
Dionne resides in Clayton, NC with her husband Glenn and son Hank, and when not analyzing cases, she enjoys jogging, exercising (including forays into mace training and kickboxing), and being outdoors, along with continuing to follow her alma mater’s basketball and football teams.
Practice Areas:
- Family Law (See below)
Admitted to North Carolina Bar: 1995
North Carolina Bar Board Certified Specialist in Family Law
Admitted to Practice:
- All North Carolina Courts and Administrative Agencies
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina
- United States Supreme Court
Professional/Civic:
- DRC Certified Mediator Family Financial Settlement
- North Carolina Bar Association (member, Family Law Section; past member, Family Law Council)
- Eleventh Judicial District Bar Association (Past Secretary/Treasurer)
- Johnston County Bar Association (Past Secretary/Treasurer; Committees)
- North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys (Past President, Board Member)
- Smithfield Jaycees (1995 - 2001) (Past President)
- Johnston County Youth Services (2009-2014) (Past Treasurer)
Education: University of North Carolina (Phi Beta Kappa)
University of North Carolina School of Law
My family law practice includes experience in navigating the following issues:
Equitable Distribution / Spousal Support (PSS and Alimony) / Separation Agreements / Annulment / Divorce / Child Custody / Child Support and Garnishment / Grandparents and Third Party Custody/Visitation / Hague Convention and Custody Jurisdiction Litigation / Termination of Parental Rights / Adoption / Assisted Reproduction Law / Domestic Violence / LGBT Family Law/ Mediation
Personal: I grew up in Asheboro, North Carolina, graduating from Asheboro High School. I continued my studies the next seven years at UNC-CH, receiving my undergraduate degree in English, with Honor and Distinction, and then moving to the other side of campus to achieve my law degree. I was an associate at Lucas, Bryant and Denning, PA in Selma, NC from 1995-2000, was a solo practitioner from 2000-2001, and then began in the partnership that is now Woodruff & Fortner. My husband, Glenn, and I reside with our son, Hank, in Clayton, NC. I enjoy jogging, exercising, and being outdoors, along with the more sedentary (but just as heart-thumping) activity of watching UNC basketball and football.
Paralegal: Marlene Daniels