Christian Ray
Associate Attorney | Raleigh
Christian Ray is an Associate Attorney in the Raleigh office of McIlveen Family Law Firm, where he practices exclusively in family law. A Charlotte native who now calls Raleigh home, Christian is known for a level-headed, steady approach to cases that affect a family's children, finances and future.
What kinds of cases does Christian Ray handle?
Christian represents clients in domestic violence protective orders, separation agreements, absolute divorce, guideline child support, contempt and enforcement of court orders, and related family law matters in Wake County and the surrounding Triangle counties.
How does Christian approach a case?
Christian prepares every matter as if it will be tried. He knows the facts, knows the law, and knows how the other side will argue before he walks into a courtroom or a negotiation. He is firm about protecting his clients' interests and steady in how he goes about it, which clients going through the hardest year of their lives tend to appreciate. Having seen first-hand how family disputes strain the people in them, Christian is committed to making sure each client feels seen and heard, understands the options, and has their side of the case fully and fairly presented, whether the matter settles or goes to trial.
Background and Training
Christian earned his law degree from Campbell University School of Law in Raleigh and his undergraduate degree, summa cum laude, from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. His training is in litigation. He competed on Campbell Law's moot court and mock trial teams, where his team took a regional championship at a national moot court competition and he was recognized for the strongest trial brief at a national mock trial challenge, and he is a member of the Craven-Everett Inn of Court.
Before joining McIlveen, Christian served in the chambers of a judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals, drafting bench memoranda on appeals that included family law matters, and clerked for a Raleigh litigation firm, where he prepared discovery, motions and witness examinations. That appellate and trial experience shapes how he builds a case: with the record, the standard of review and the eventual hearing in mind from the first meeting.
What can clients expect from Christian?
Preparation, candor and a calm presence. Christian gives clients practical advice even when it is not the answer they hoped for, because understanding the law and the likely outcomes is what lets a family make good decisions about its future. He returns calls, explains what is happening and why, and treats every client's case as the most important thing on his desk, because to that client it is.
Outside the Practice of Law
Christian's priorities outside the office are church, family, friends and fitness. He and his wife spend much of their time together each week meal-prepping or working out at their local YMCA. He speaks some French and is a student of French history, and he is always looking for a good meal.