I wanted to create my own brand, which reflected my personality and style. Carrie Tortora is a Raleigh divorce lawyer who opened Tortora Family Law in Raleigh after working at another firm for 15 years.
“It is down-to-earth, straightforward advice that I would give my brother or sister, or to my mother or father.” She describes the practice as having an approachable, relaxed vibe. My office is filled with plants. It is not stuffy or institutional.
Tortora said that if she could do it all over, she would be a stand-up comic. “But I’m just not funny,” she laughed. I use humor to bring my clients, and the aggressive opposing counsels back to reality. It reduces tension. The use of humor can help bring perspective to a s***ty or otherwise unpleasant situation. “While there’s nothing funny about divorce and separation, when my client smiles, I feel like we can work together to solve their problems.”
Tortora, who was born in Baton Rouge, had a future as a number cruncher after earning a degree from LSU. She recalled, “I had an accounting internship and found it to be dry and impersonal.”
Tortora received her Juris Doctorate from UNC School of Law. “I knew that when I graduated law school, I would make a difference in helping people get through difficult times. But in my early 20s I had no idea what this would look like.”
She was drawn to family laws while working as a clerk at the NC Court of Appeals under Judge Sanford Steelman. It touches on everything, including accounting, property division, child and spousal support, estate planning, financial/tax issues, as well as business law and, in some cases criminal law. It is a human issue – it’s about relationships, fears, and growth. The combination of all these elements makes the work challenging and constantly changing, which is what keeps me working.
Moving forward
“I represent those who want to move forward and make a positive difference, not look at divorce as a battleground. They have a mindset of “I don’t want to dwell on the past, I just want to move forward.”
Tortora explained that some people hire a family lawyer to handle the details so they do not have to be involved. Her practice is quite the opposite. “I have to find out where my client is, how they got here and what their goals are. We sometimes have to talk about the limitations of our system. We work with a system that is not perfect, but it works. “The goal is to make you whole and fully protected, without burning every bridge along the way.”
Tortora explained that there are many reasons why people divorce. Every relationship and life is unique. It’s important to me that I know their motivations and background, as it helps me decide where they are going. Some people want to fight for primary or 50/50 custody. Sometimes, they think that is what they should do. After working through the issues they may realize it’s not what is best for their family right now. We pivot and shift our focus to another area.”
Tortora told us she had childcare problems the morning before our interview. Frank and Tortora have three children: Louis, 4, Cecilia 6, and Giuliana 8, and Frank is the wife. You see the world in a different way after having children. Tortora said that parenting with a partner can be stressful and emotional. “Just getting out of the door is a challenge,” she added. “I can understand the difficult decisions made by parents who are going through divorce.”
Waiting Tables
Tortora, who runs her own law office, uses the skills she acquired as a waitress to help her through law school and college. You have to be able to multitask, remember 35 different things at once, read nonverbal signals, make friends, handle difficult customers and clean other people’s mess. This is almost verbatim to what I do every day. “It’s all about making people comfortable and providing excellent customer service.”
The first Attorney at Law Magazine published the post Carrie Tortora High Touch Service.