Meet Mariana Godwin
Mariana prides herself on having been born and raised in Dunn, North Carolina, a small town with strong roots in family and community. Although Mariana now calls Raleigh home, her family still resides in Dunn, and she greatly enjoys returning home to visit.
Mariana attended college at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington where she graduated with honors. Following graduation, Mariana worked in broadcast journalism. Feeling that she had other passions to pursue, Mariana made the decision to obtain her law degree at the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University. While in law school, Mariana gained valuable experience and found great success as a member of the National Civil Rights Moot Court team and a member of the National Moot Court team, which won first place honors and Best Brief. Because of her skill and dedication, in 2008 Mariana was inducted into the Order of Barristers, an honor for those who exhibit excellence and attain high honor through the art of courtroom advocacy. Mariana enjoyed her experience at Campbell so much that she continues to volunteer with the law school’s advocacy programs. She also volunteers with "Lawyer on the Line," a program that provides attorneys a chance to help those in need.
Mariana has always focused on family law and litigation, and prior to joining Barefoot Family Law, Mariana worked for the family law section at Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton, LLP, one of the twenty largest law firms in North Carolina. Mariana is a North Carolina Board Certified Family Law Specialist and handles all aspects of family law litigation, including mediation, equitable distribution, child custody and support matters, postseparation support and alimony, premarital agreements, separation agreements and divorce. Mariana has received numerous honors in her work as an attorney, included being listed among North Carolina Super Lawyers "Rising Stars" in the practice of Family Law in 2012 and 2013, and in Business North Carolina’s Legal Elite for Family Law in 2014 and 2015. Mariana is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association, North Carolina State Bar and the Wake County Bar Association. Mariana also stays active as a member of the Family Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association and has presented the case law update at the Family Law Section's annual Continuing Legal Education meeting.