The Lea/Schultz Law Firm

What The Lea/Schultz Law Firm does

The Lea/Schultz Law Firm, P.C. is a privately held family law boutique headquartered at 1612 Military Cutoff Road, Suite 300, Wilmington, North Carolina, founded in 1980 by James W. Lea III following his admission to the North Carolina State Bar. The firm concentrates exclusively on family and domestic law matters, offering services across divorce, child custody and visitation, child support, alimony and spousal support, equitable distribution, premarital and separation agreements, divorce mediation, and high-asset or complex divorces involving business valuation, trusts, and executive compensation. Its legal team comprises three attorneys: founding partner James W. Lea III (45 years of legal experience, 20 dedicated exclusively to family law, with 15 landmark North Carolina family law cases argued and won), partner Ryan Schultz (NC State Bar Certified Specialist in Family Law with prior corporate investigative experience at Kroll & Associates), and associate Cullen Lea (admitted in 2025). The firm employs approximately 11 people in total, including three attorneys and three paralegals each with 20-plus years of experience.

The firm operates a traditional professional services revenue model, billing clients through hourly fees or flat fees for specific services; pricing is not publicly disclosed and clients are funneled into scheduled in-person consultations at the Wilmington office. Its go-to-market is direct, relying on the firm's website, client testimonials, referrals, and profiles on legal directories (Martindale-Hubbell, Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Business NC Legal Elite) to attract individual and family clients across North Carolina's southeastern region. The firm has extended its brand through the co-authored book 'The Humane Divorce: Breaking Up Without Breaking Down' by James W. Lea III and Craig S. Galbraith, distributed on Amazon as a thought-leadership and top-of-funnel marketing asset. There is no proprietary technology platform, no disclosed AI capability, and no parent company, institutional investor, or subsidiary structure; the firm is wholly owned and controlled by its attorney-partners.

Recognition that underpins the firm's positioning includes an AV Preeminent peer rating from Martindale-Hubbell held for 30 consecutive years, Best Lawyers in America 2026, Super Lawyers, and Business NC Legal Elite 2026 for Ryan Schultz. The website carries a WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility statement effective March 26, 2026. The firm operates as a single-office professional corporation and presents no disclosed expansion into additional geographies, service lines beyond family law, or alternative business structures such as funding rounds or acquisitions.

Name

The Lea/Schultz Law Firm

Legal name

The Lea/Schultz Law Firm, P.C.

Website

https://theleaschultzlawfirm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Lea/Schultz Law Firm is a privately held family law boutique in Wilmington, North Carolina, serving individuals and families across North Carolina with divorce, custody, child support, alimony, equitable distribution, mediation, and high-asset divorce representation, billing through hourly and flat fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Revenue: The firm generates revenue through legal consultation and representation fees for family law matters including divorce, custody, child support, alimony, and equitable distribution. Fee structures typically involve hourly billing or flat fees for specific services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Lea/Schultz Law Firm is a Wilmington, North Carolina family law practice that represents individual clients in domestic relations matters. The firm's core service is legal representation in divorce, child custody, child support, equitable distribution of marital property, alimony/spousal support, and related family law proceedings. It serves residents of Wilmington and the surrounding southeastern North Carolina region.

Product overview

The Lea/Schultz Law Firm is a family law practice offering legal services through multiple practice areas: Alimony & Spousal Support, Child Custody & Visitation, Child Support, Divorce Mediation, Equitable Distribution, High-Asset & Complex Divorces, and Premarital & Separation Agreements. The firm is led by James W. Lea III with 45 years of experience and includes partners Ryan Schultz and Cullen Lea. Additionally, the firm offers 'The Humane Divorce' book as an educational resource co-authored by James W. Lea III.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Divorce Representation Legal representation in divorce proceedings, including contested and uncontested dissolutions, for individuals in southeastern North Carolina.
• Child Custody and Visitation Representation Legal counsel and courtroom advocacy in child custody, visitation, and parenting time disputes, including initial determinations and modifications.
• Child Support Representation Legal services related to establishing, enforcing, or modifying child support obligations in North Carolina family court.
• Equitable Distribution Representation Legal counsel for the identification, valuation, and division of marital property and debts under North Carolina's equitable distribution framework.
• Alimony / Spousal Support Representation Legal representation in matters involving post-separation support, alimony, and spousal support claims or defenses.
• Family Law Consultations Initial consultations providing legal advice and case assessment for prospective clients considering family law action in North Carolina.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30 consecutive years of AV Preeminent peer rating
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Nolo: Nolo is a long-standing legal information and DIY legal services publisher providing divorce forms, guides, and attorney directories. Comparable as an alternative channel through which price-sensitive divorce clients may bypass traditional firms like Lea/Schultz for self-represented or limited-scope representation.
• LegalZoom: LegalZoom is a leading online legal services platform offering divorce, wills, and family law document preparation services. Represents the technology-enabled self-service segment that targets the entry-tier end of the divorce market Lea/Schultz serves, posing substitution risk for low-complexity matters.

Direct peers

• Everett Gaskins Hancock LLP: Everett Gaskins Hancock LLP is a Raleigh, North Carolina family law firm specializing in divorce, custody, and complex domestic matters. Direct comparable as a North Carolina-based boutique family law practice with similar practice area focus, premium credentialing, and high-asset divorce capabilities.
• Gailor Family Law: Gailor Family Law is a Wilmington, North Carolina family law firm focused on divorce, custody, and domestic matters. The most geographically proximate direct competitor, competing for the same local client base in Wilmington and the surrounding North Carolina coastal region.
• Charles E. Campbell & Associates: Charles E. Campbell & Associates is a North Carolina family law firm focused on divorce, custody, and complex domestic matters. Direct comparable as a North Carolina boutique family law practice with similar service offerings, geographic market overlap, and high-asset divorce focus.

Broad incumbents

• Smith Anderson Blount Dorsett Mitchell & Jernigan (Smith Anderson): Smith Anderson is one of North Carolina's largest and most established law firms, with a family law practice serving high-net-worth clients across the state. Comparable as a North Carolina-headquartered competitor for complex family law matters and high-asset divorce work, though as part of a much broader full-service firm rather than a focused family law boutique.
• Cordell & Cordell: Cordell & Cordell is a national family law firm with a strong focus on men's divorce, custody, and complex domestic matters. Comparable as a specialized family law practice competing for high-stakes, complex divorce work with premium positioning, though it operates at significantly greater scale and geographic breadth than Lea/Schultz.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-lea-schultz-law-firm

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Lea/Schultz Law Firm