Michael J. Denning

Michael is a certified family financial mediator through the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission. He concentrates his practice in the area of domestic law and arbitration and mediation, representing clients in all aspects of family law, including divorce, child custody, equitable distribution, child support, and alimony. Michael joined Smith Debnam after having served nearly 10 years on the Wake County District Court bench, six of which as a Family Court judge.

The seventh child (fourth of seven boys) in a family of twelve, Michael is a Marine Corps veteran with over 10 years of service. While in active duty, Michael served as a Marine Security Guard at U.S. Embassies in China, Japan, and Indonesia, and briefly in Mongolia.

After leaving the Marine Corps, Michael attended and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with undergraduate degrees in English and Medieval History. He earned his J.D. from Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University. In 2010, Michael was elected to the District Court Bench.

Michael and his wife Jill have been married for 20 years and have two boys.