Howard L. Gum
I limit my practice to matters involving family and matrimonial law. My office is located in Asheville, North Carolina, although I accept select cases in the counties and judicial districts throughout Western North Carolina.
I am frequently associated by other counsel to assist in complex divorce cases especially those involving the valuation and analysis of large marital estates and those involving closely held businesses and professional practices.
Recognizing that the factual and legal issues presented in many divorce cases with large marital estates are complex, my staff and I specialize in handling only those kinds of cases. I am also keenly aware of the emotional and psychological turmoil associated with divorce proceedings. As a result, we provide a professional environment in which the client’s emotional and psychological needs are also respected and addressed.
I practiced for approximately two years with the well established Asheville firm of Van Winkle, Buck, Wall, Starnes & Davis, P.A., then in early 1979 formed the firm of Gum and Hillier, P.A., with my partner, David R. Hillier.
Specializations & Certifications:
I am Board Certified as a Specialist in Family Law by the North Carolina Board of Legal Specialization. I became certified as a Family Law Specialist in 1989, the first year that the North Carolina Board of Legal Specialization offered certification in Family Law. I am also a Certified Family Law Arbitrator certified by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.
I've represented clients on a regular basis utilizing mediation as a tool to resolve Family Law issues. Various forms of alternative dispute resolution are increasingly utilized in resolving some or all of the issues presented in marriage dissolution cases. I am experienced with the most frequently utilized methods of alternative dispute resolution – arbitration, mediation, neutral evaluation, and collaborative law.
Education:
I was admitted to practice in North Carolina in 1976 after receiving a Bachelor’s Degree, cum laude, from Bradley University in 1973 and my Juris Doctorate Degree from the University of Illinois in 1976.
Professional & Community Involvement:
I have had extensive involvement over the years in various professional activities. I have been active for many years in the Family Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association having served several terms as a councilor, Committee Member, and two terms as Chair of the Family Law Section.
In 1987, the North Carolina Board of Legal Specialization formed the Family Law Specialty Committee for the purpose of establishing a Specialty Certification in Family Law. I was Chair of the initial committee and continued to serve as Chair for a period of six years during which time the standards for certification of family law were developed.
In 1996, I was appointed to the North Carolina Board of Legal Specialization which oversees the administration of all specialty certifications permitted in North Carolina. I served as both Vice Chair and Chair of the Board of Legal Specialization through June of 2001.
In addition to continuing to serve on the North Carolina Bar Association’s Lawyer Effectiveness and Quality of Life Committee, I served on the Board of Directors of North Carolina BarCARES, Inc., which is an organization that provides a network of confidential resources for lawyers and their families in the areas of mental health, relationship issues, as well as professional growth and development issues.
I have served on committees of the Administrative Office of Courts in North Carolina, as appointed by the Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. I am one of only two attorneys in private practice serving on the Family Courts Advisory Committee of the Administrative Office of Courts. In 2006, the attorneys of the 28th Judicial District Bar elected me to the seat State Bar Councilor, a position that liases between the state bar and the 28th Judicial District Bar, in Buncombe County
I am a Fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, having been elected to Fellowship in 1992 and was one of the Charter members of the North Carolina Chapter of the AAML. I am President of the North Carolina Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and have served in other offices in that organization.
For over ten years, I have been listed in the Best Lawyers in America published by Woodard White in the field of Family Law.
I am a frequent speaker at continuing legal education programs for lawyers and have written and presented manuscripts on several different topics relating to Family Law. I also participated in arbitration training programs as a presenter on behalf of the North Carolina Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.
Memberships & Associations:
Family:
My home is Asheville, North Carolina, where I have resided since 1976. I am married to Christine D. Gum and have two children, Jason Bryon, born in 1980, and Daren Wesley, born in 1984.
