Appalachian Law Center in Boone, North Carolina maintains separate dedicated phone lines for its criminal division and civil division, a structural detail that reflects the firm’s deliberate organization of two distinct practice areas under one roof: criminal defense and family law. Attorneys Britt Springer and Thomas G. McMurray bring more than 30 years of combined experience to clients in Watauga, Avery, and Mitchell Counties, with Springer’s particular familiarity with North Carolina’s criminal justice system shaping the criminal defense side of the practice.

Introduction

Located at 756 West King Street, Boone, North Carolina 28607, Appalachian Law Center serves the mountain communities of northwestern North Carolina. The firm’s geographic focus, three counties centered on Boone, reflects a deliberate regional practice that values depth of local knowledge over broad geographic coverage. Courts in Watauga, Avery, and Mitchell Counties each have their own procedures, judges, and institutional culture. An attorney who appears regularly in these courts develops a familiarity with that environment that attorneys who appear occasionally cannot replicate.

Criminal defense phone: (828) 386-1705
Family law and civil matters phone: (828) 386-1116

The two phone lines are not a cosmetic distinction. They reflect how the firm routes incoming clients to the appropriate practice area immediately, without requiring callers to explain their situation to a receptionist who then has to connect them to the right part of the firm.

Practice Areas

Criminal Defense: Appalachian Law Center handles criminal matters across the full range of offenses that appear in northwestern North Carolina courts, from traffic citations through felony charges. The firm handles DWI cases, expungements, and the broad spectrum of criminal matters in between.

The firm’s position on criminal defense is stated plainly: any criminal offense can impact a person’s future. A traffic citation may seem minor, but it can affect driving records, insurance rates, and professional licenses. A DWI conviction carries license suspension, mandatory assessments, and the potential for incarceration, in addition to long-term employment implications. A felony conviction affects civil rights, voting eligibility, housing access, and employment across the rest of a person’s life. The gradation of consequences across offense types is real, and treating any criminal charge as merely an inconvenience misreads the stakes.

Britt Springer’s intimate familiarity with the North Carolina criminal justice system is a specific asset for the firm’s criminal defense clients. That familiarity encompasses the procedural norms of the local courts, the tendencies of local prosecutors, and the legal standards that govern evidence, arrest procedures, and sentencing in North Carolina.

Expungements allow individuals with prior charges or convictions on their records to petition for those records to be cleared, removing barriers that criminal history imposes on employment, housing, and professional licensing applications. Eligibility requirements are specific under North Carolina law, and the firm handles the expungement process for qualifying clients.

Family Law: The firm’s civil division handles adoption, divorce, and custody matters. These three categories represent some of the most consequential legal proceedings in a person’s life, and they are also among the most emotionally demanding.

Adoption proceedings in North Carolina involve specific statutory requirements and court procedures that must be followed precisely. The process differs depending on the type of adoption involved, and an attorney who handles adoptions regularly can guide families through the procedural requirements without unnecessary delays.

Divorce proceedings require addressing property division, debt allocation, and, where applicable, spousal support. When minor children are involved, divorce necessarily overlaps with custody and support determinations, which adds procedural complexity and emotional weight. The firm handles both the legal and practical dimensions of divorce matters.

Child custody disputes are among the most contested family law matters that courts handle. North Carolina courts apply a best interests of the child standard, which involves a multi-factor analysis of parental fitness, stability, the child’s existing relationships, and other considerations. Thomas G. McMurray contributes his experience to the firm’s family law cases, including custody disputes that require careful presentation of the relevant factors.

Attorney Profiles

Britt Springer brings what the firm describes as intimate familiarity with the North Carolina criminal justice system to his criminal defense work. That phrase deserves some unpacking: it means he knows how local courts operate, how local prosecutors approach cases, and what procedural and evidentiary arguments are most effective in northwestern North Carolina’s judicial environment. Familiarity of this kind develops through sustained practice in a specific regional court system, not through general legal training.

Thomas G. McMurray contributes to the firm’s civil and family law practice. Together, Springer and McMurray bring over 30 years of combined experience to the cases they handle in Watauga, Avery, and Mitchell Counties.

Location and Service Area

The firm is located at 756 West King Street, Boone, North Carolina 28607. It serves clients in Watauga County, Avery County, and Mitchell County. Boone is the county seat of Watauga County and the commercial and institutional center of this region of North Carolina.

Client Focus

Appalachian Law Center’s two-phone-line structure reflects an organizational commitment to efficient client intake. Prospective clients do not need to navigate a general inquiry line and explain which part of the firm they need. The criminal division line reaches the criminal defense practice directly. The civil line reaches the family law practice. For clients already under the stress of a criminal charge or a family law matter, that directness has practical value.

The firm’s knowledge of local court systems throughout its service area means that clients in Avery and Mitchell Counties receive representation from attorneys who appear in those courts regularly, not attorneys who must learn the local environment on the client’s time.

FAQ

Which phone number should I call for a criminal defense matter?
Call (828) 386-1705 for the criminal division.

Which number should I call for family law matters, including divorce or custody?
Call (828) 386-1116 for the civil division.

Does the firm handle cases in all three counties, Watauga, Avery, and Mitchell?
Yes. The firm serves clients throughout all three counties and has familiarity with the local court systems in each.

What does Britt Springer’s familiarity with North Carolina’s criminal justice system mean practically?
It means he knows the local courts, local prosecutors, and the procedural environment in which cases in this region are decided. That regional knowledge influences how cases are prepared and argued.

Does the firm handle all severity levels of criminal charges?
Yes. The practice runs from traffic citations through felony matters. The firm’s position is that any criminal charge, regardless of severity, can have real consequences for a person’s future.

Can the firm help with clearing a prior criminal record?
Yes. Expungements are handled for clients whose prior charges or convictions qualify for clearing under North Carolina law.

Closing

Boone and the northwestern North Carolina mountain communities have specific legal needs that are best served by attorneys who practice there regularly and know the courts, the procedures, and the local legal environment. Appalachian Law Center’s 30-plus years of combined experience across criminal defense and family law, its specific knowledge of Watauga, Avery, and Mitchell Counties, and its organized dual-division structure make it a resource worth contacting for residents of this region facing either a criminal matter or a family law situation. Criminal division: (828) 386-1705. Civil division: (828) 386-1116.

Website: appalachianlawcenter.com