Aïda Doss Havel, Family Law Attorney

AIDA DOSS HAVEL has spent almost twenty-five years helping people resolve issues related to their children, their money, and their property. From courtroom to conference room, she’s seen and heard almost everything, and she sometimes says, “Most people go through only one or two divorces in a lifetime, but I’ve been through thousands!”

Aïda grew up in Raleigh, and graduated from Sanderson High School, Davidson College, and UNC Law School. While at UNC, she worked in the Prisoners' Rights Project, helping research legal issues for inmates. She was also a member of the Law Review.

Aïda’s first employment was as a Staff Attorney at the North Carolina Court of Appeals. After two years at the Court, she went into the private practice of law, working on her own for two years, then joining a large firm for a year, and then a medium-sized firm for three years. For thirteen years, from 1992 through 2005, Aïda was in a partnership, Doss & Willis, LLP, where she found great satisfaction in the difficult and challenging work of family law.

Throughout her legal career, Aïda has represented pro bono clients, done volunteer work for the Women's Center Legal Hotline, participated in the North Carolina Bar Association’s “4All” campaign which answers questions from the public at no charge for one day each year, and has lectured at several legal education seminars, law school classes, and paralegal classes. She has developed a particular interest in international child custody cases, collaborative law, and alternatives to litigation.

Aïda is happily married to John Michael Havel, a graphic designer working for the Environmental Protection Agency in Research Triangle Park. She currently serves on the Wake County Board of Elections, the Unity Church of the Triangle Board of Trustees, and the Triangle Pastoral Counseling Board of Trustees. Aïda enjoys finding positive, holistic, practical, and spiritual solutions to what appear to be thorny and difficult problems. Her interests include bridge, international travel, performing arts of all kinds, cats, puzzles, and geocaching.