Alexander French

My practice is focused exclusively on family law, with a particular emphasis on equitable distribution, alimony, complex divorce, and other financially significant family law matters. I also have substantial experience handling contested child custody cases and other family law litigation.

What makes my practice unique is the combination of courtroom experience and financial case strategy. I have spent years litigating difficult family law matters, which has taught me how to identify the facts that actually matter, prepare cases efficiently, and evaluate risk realistically.

I am a North Carolina Board Certified Specialist in Family Law and a Partner at McIlveen Family Law Firm. Over time, my practice has increasingly focused on cases involving substantial marital estates, business interests, significant income, real estate, retirement assets, separate property claims, and complex alimony issues.

I enjoy trying cases, but I do not believe every dispute should end in a courtroom. A well-negotiated settlement can sometimes produce a better result than trial because it gives clients more control and flexibility. At the same time, the ability and willingness to litigate matters when the other side is unreasonable or an agreement cannot be reached.

My goal is to prepare every case thoroughly enough that the client has real options. Whether the best path is negotiation, mediation, or trial, I want the client to understand the risks, the likely outcomes, and the long-term financial consequences of the decisions being made.

The questions I hear most often usually involve the same concerns: What will happen to my assets, how much financial exposure do I have, and is this case going to have to be tried?

“Am I going to lose half of everything?”
Not necessarily. North Carolina uses equitable distribution to divide marital and divisible property. An equal division is generally presumed to be equitable, but the analysis begins with identifying what property exists, determining whether it is marital, separate, or divisible, and establishing its value. In a complex case, that may involve businesses, real estate, retirement accounts, investments, separate property claims, and significant debt.

“Will I have to pay alimony?” or “How much alimony could I receive?”
There is no simple formula for alimony in North Carolina. The analysis can involve income, earning capacity, the length of the marriage, marital standard of living, financial needs, assets and liabilities, and other statutory factors. When a spouse owns a business or receives bonuses, distributions, commissions, or other variable compensation, determining the actual financial picture can become much more complicated.

“What happens to my business in a divorce?”
That depends on when and how the business was acquired, whether all or part of the interest is marital, what the business is worth, and how it fits into the overall marital estate. A business may also create issues involving income and alimony. I tell clients that the valuation number is important, but so are liquidity, debt, cash flow, and what a proposed settlement will actually require the business owner to do after the divorce.

“Should I keep the house?”
The answer is not simply whether you can obtain the house in the property division. We need to consider whether keeping it makes financial sense. That includes the mortgage, taxes, insurance, maintenance, available cash, other assets you may be giving up in exchange, and what your finances will look like after the divorce. An asset can be valuable and still be the wrong asset for a particular client to retain.

“Should I settle or go to trial?”
That depends on what is being offered and what the realistic alternatives are. Settlement gives clients more control and can create solutions a judge may not have the ability to order. Trial may be necessary when the parties fundamentally disagree or one side is unwilling to negotiate reasonably. My job is to help the client compare the proposed settlement with the risks and potential outcomes of litigation rather than making the decision based solely on emotion.

“What should I be doing right now?”
Get organized. Gather financial records, understand your income and expenses, identify major assets and debts, and preserve documents that may become important later. In financially complex divorce cases, good information early in the case can significantly improve both the legal analysis and the strategy.

The question behind most of these questions is really, “What will my life look like when this is over?” My goal is to help clients understand the legal issues while also thinking several steps ahead about the financial consequences of the decisions they are making now.

One of the most challenging aspects of family law is that the cases often involve several different kinds of problems at once.

In a financially complex divorce, there may be disputes over businesses, real estate, retirement assets, income, alimony, separate property claims, and debt. Each issue may have its own legal and financial analysis, but the client ultimately needs to understand how all of those pieces fit together.

That is especially challenging because a result that looks favorable on one issue may create problems somewhere else. Keeping a particular asset may affect liquidity. A property settlement may affect cash flow. A support obligation may change what is realistically affordable after the divorce. Looking at any one issue in isolation can lead to a result that does not work well in practice.

Another challenge is helping clients evaluate risk objectively. Divorce is personal, and it is easy for a particular issue to become symbolic or emotional. Part of my role is helping clients distinguish between the issues worth fighting over and the issues that may cost more—in money, time, and stress—than they are ultimately worth.

That is also what I find most interesting about the work. The goal is not simply to identify the legal answer. It is to take complicated facts, financial information, and competing priorities and turn them into a strategy that makes sense for the client both during the case and after it is over.

I grew up around the law. Both of my parents were attorneys, and my father practiced family law, so I was exposed to the profession and to family law from an early age.

Seeing that work up close gave me an understanding of how personal and consequential family law cases can be. These are not abstract legal disputes. They involve people’s children, homes, finances, businesses, and long-term relationships.

I was also drawn to the advocacy side of the profession. I knew I wanted to work directly with clients, negotiate, litigate, and be in the courtroom rather than practice in an area that was more removed from people and their day-to-day problems.

Family law ultimately became a natural fit because it combines all of those things: strategy, negotiation, litigation, financial analysis, and direct client relationships. It is challenging work, but it is also work where good judgment and strong advocacy can make a meaningful difference in a client’s life.

Outside of practicing law, I enjoy spending time with my family, playing golf, traveling, and following Ohio State athletics.

My wife and I have two children with another baby on the way, so at this stage of life, most weekends seem to revolve around kids’ activities, family time, and an impressive number of children’s birthday parties.

I grew up in Ohio and remain a loyal Buckeyes fan, and I enjoy golf when I get the opportunity. Having a young family of my own has also given me an additional perspective on the parenting, financial, and practical decisions clients face during divorce and custody matters.