North Carolina names first chief judge for new Complex Family Financial Court
The statewide court program was created in the 2026 state budget to handle complex family financial disputes.
RALEIGH — North Carolina’s Judicial Branch has named the first chief judge for a new statewide court program focused on complex family financial disputes.
Chief Justice Paul Newby appointed Marcia H. “Marci” Armstrong as North Carolina’s first Chief Complex Family Financial Court Judge, effective Sept. 1, according to a July 24 announcement from the North Carolina Judicial Branch. Armstrong will lead the newly created Complex Family Financial Court program, which the Judicial Branch said was established by the General Assembly in the 2026 state budget.
The program is designed to provide specialized judicial oversight in complicated family financial cases. According to the Judicial Branch, Armstrong’s responsibilities will include determining which cases qualify as complex family financial cases, assigning those matters among Complex Family Financial Court judges, preparing required reports, conducting hearings and entering orders in assigned cases.
State law tied to the 2026 budget authorizes the chief justice to appoint three special superior court judges, effective July 1, 2026, to hear and decide complex family financial cases. Those judges are designated as Complex Family Financial Court Judges and serve terms expiring at the earlier of eight years from taking office or the judge’s death, retirement, resignation or removal from office, according to Session Law 2026-42.
Armstrong has practiced law since 1983 and is a board-certified specialist in family law by the North Carolina State Bar, according to the Judicial Branch. She is a partner at The Armstrong Law Firm, P.A., in Smithfield, and her practice has focused on equitable distribution and support issues in domestic cases.
The Judicial Branch said Armstrong earned her bachelor’s degree from Salem College and her law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law. She has also served as an adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina School of Law and is a past president of the North Carolina State Bar and the North Carolina Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.
Editor’s note: This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed against official North Carolina Judicial Branch and General Assembly sources.
