Practices Areas

Our main practice areas are:

Criminal Law
If you are facing a criminal law charge, you need a defense lawyer who cares about you and will fight to protect your best interests.
At Phillips and McCrea, LLP, we will take
the time to listen intently to your story and
ask questions to determine the specific circumstances surrounding your case, and know how to best defend you. We pledge relentless advocacy and personal attention. We truly care about our clients. By getting
to know you as an individual, we can better understand your situation, allowing us to better serve your unique legal needs.

We provide attentive service and diligent criminal defense representation to individuals charged with state crimes, including DWI, drug crimes, probation violations, robbery and theft, weapons violations, larceny, assault, and other violent crimes. Every client is a unique individual with unique circumstances that brought him or her to the point of needing our services. At Phillips and McCrea, LLP, we will conduct a careful and thorough evaluation of your case, and provide you with an honest assessment. Timing may be critical in your case. Contact us right away to schedule a consultation with an attentive, committed advocate.

Traffic Law
If you have received a traffic ticket, you need an attorney experienced in traffic law to help protect your driving record. Traffic violation convictions may cause problems on your driving record. They also often result in costly, higher insurance premiums, points on your driver’s license, payment of large fines, and they can eventually lead to your license being suspended or revoked. The attorneys at Phillips and McCrea, LLP have experience defending all traffic violations including driving while impaired and driving while license revoked. Contact us today so that we may determine if we can help you with your traffic violation.

Real Estate Law and Closings
Purchasing or selling real property can be a very stressful and frightening time. Cast your worries and concerns in the hands of Phillips and McCrea, LLP. We can assist in making the real estate closing as stress free as possible. Our firm is capable of handling a real estate closing from beginning to end. Our staff has extensive experience in the real estate field and we are eager to assist. We implement a streamlined closing process which makes it simple for all parties involved in the transaction. At Phillips and McCrea, LLP, we employ state of the art technology while providing service ethically and with integrity.

Other legal services that we are eager to provide in the real estate area include: real estate contract negotiation; environmental permitting and land use; governmental zoning and approval matters; property development, improvement, subdivision and sale; preparation of closing documents; issuance of title opinions; enforcement of construction lien claims; representation of parties during eviction proceedings; and representation during the purchase and sale of commercial and residential properties.

Immigration Law
Phillips and McCrea, LLP offers its clients immigration and legal naturalization services. With the ever changing rules and regulations regarding U.S. Immigration Law, it is important to stay informed about the fast paced are of Immigration and Naturalization. The law firm of Phillips and McCrea is dedicated to assisting those interested in “Adjustment of Status, Naturalization, Change of Status… and other related matters. Attorney Phillips first gained experience in this field while he assisted in the processing of applications to the USCIS during his active duty assignment as  a US Marine Corps Captain. He prepared applications and forwarded them to the East Coast Specialist located at Camp Lejeune. He forwarded these packages from Iraq when he was stationed there during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Phillips and McCrea, LLP is currently providing immigration and naturalization services regarding Adjustment of Status and Naturalization, and other related matters. Please feel free to contact us regarding questions related to Immigration.

Military Law
Phillips and McCrea, LLP is specially equipped with an in-house former Judge Advocate for the United States Marine Corps. Attorney Phillips served on Active Duty and was assigned to the Judge Advocate Corps at Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune. He was a Legal Assistance Attorney for Marine Corps Base and a Defense Counsel with the 2nd Marine Logistics Group. While deployed to Iraq, Attorney Phillips served with the 2nd Marine Division and was assigned as 2nd Marine Division’s Defense Counsel for military personnel stationed in Iraq during his deployment.

Michael Phillips is experienced in Legal Assistance for Military Personnel (Civil Matters), Administrative Separation Boards, Special Courts-Martial and General Courts-Martial. He has been counsel for countless U.S. Marines and their family members stationed at Camp Lejeune.

Phillips and McCrea, LLP is dedicated to serving those members on active duty facing criminal charges both in State Court and Military Court. The firm is likewise committed to assisting Veterans with those critical Disability and Veteran issues after discharge. Please feel free to contact the office to schedule an appointment. Semper Fidelis.

Business law
Phillips and McCrea, LLP represents a variety of business and professional clients. This representation requires a thorough understanding of changing business conditions, laws and regulations. We offer legal services in drafting formation and organization documents for corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, nonprofit organizations, and other legal entities. We have assisted clients with mergers and acquisitions; dissolution; entity structure modification; contract negotiation, formation, and enforcement; and dispute resolution, to name a few. Contact us today so that we can see if our combination of legal expertise and business acumen can aid in your situation.

Family Law
No area of the law may evoke more emotion than matters involving family law. Let the attorneys at Phillips and McCrea, LLP, aid you through these tough times. Our family law services include representation in: divorce, child custody matters, child support, separation agreements, pre-nuptial agreements, post-nuptial agreements, support agreements, and alimony and property distribution matters.


Wills and Probate
One guarantee of life is that it doesn’t last forever. Having a will or trust in place helps your loved ones once you leave here. Contact the attorneys at Phillips and McCrea, LLP, today to get your testamentary documents drafted.

Employment Law
Have you, or someone you know, been denied unemployment compensation after losing a job?

Our firm is specially equipped in that we have an experienced attorney who previously worked for the Employment Security Commission as a Hearing Officer, deciding unemployment cases in the appeals hearing process, prior to his active duty assignment in the United States Marine Corps.

In North Carolina, individuals who lose their jobs through no fault of their own are entitled to collect unemployment compensation benefits for the applicable benefit period or until they find a new job, whichever is less. Typically an employee who quits a job does not qualify for unemployment benefits; however, if the job resignation was for good cause attributable to the employer, the employee may qualify for an unemployment benefits claim. When an employer creates conditions that make continued employment difficult, an attorney experienced in employment law can inform you of your employment rights and help you get the unemployment benefits you deserve.

Unemployment compensation payments are intended to provide temporary financial assistance to unemployed workers who meet the requirements of State law. Each state has its own unemployment insurance program within guidelines established by Federal law. Eligibility for unemployment compensation, benefit amounts and the length of time benefits are available are determined by the State law under which unemployment insurance claims are filed. In the majority of States, benefit funding is based solely on a tax imposed on employers. This is the case with the benefits provided through the Employment Security Commission of North Carolina.

Unemployment compensation provides workers whose jobs have been terminated with monetary payments, for a given period of time or until they find a new job. Unemployment payments are intended to provide an unemployed worker enough time to find a job that is equivalent to the one lost without having to suffer financial distress. After filing a claim, an employee must wait while the state unemployment agency determines eligibility and the amount of benefits to which a worker is entitled. A jobless worker may find that his benefits have been denied because his former employer is contesting his claim. In this instance, a worker is entitled to a hearing to dispute his employer’s contentions. In this stressful situation, a worker who feels he has been wrongfully denied benefits should seek a competent law firm to help receive his legal compensation. Phillips and McCrea, LLP, has the expertise to assist you.

It is critical that you participate in the appeals hearing. If you, the former employee, are receiving benefits and you fail to participate, you may lose the hearing and your benefits will stop immediately. If you continue to pursue your rights, it is possible to receive back pay for all the weeks you filed for benefits while you were unemployed, despite the fact that you have already been denied benefits and have found another job. Therefore you should still participate, even if you no longer are unemployed. You may also be required to repay any benefits you have received.